


Say what you say

by DreDri



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cybernetics, Deaf Clint, Deaf Clint Barton, F/M, Fucking adorable bots, M/M, Multi, Physical Disability, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, i cannot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2015-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-15 11:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2228022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreDri/pseuds/DreDri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one-shots, where the Avengers and crew find Soulmates in different ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Safe with You.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr name is Dingus-dang-it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Вы должны двигаться туда, где это безопасно. Was written down Darcy’s spine since she had been born, it was neat and precise handwriting. Her mother hadn't been able to tell her what it meant when she was young and curious.

**Вы должны двигаться туда, где это безопасно.** Was written down Darcy’s spine since she had been born, it was neat and precise handwriting. Her mother hadn't been able to tell her what it meant when she was young and curious. **So what do you know, about astrophysics and stuff?** Was just below her left breast, when those babies finally came in. It wasn’t as neat as the other, more slanted and a little more feminine, it was red which meant a platonic relationship. Darcy was glad to have at least on of her soulmarks was in english. It took her until high school to learn Russian and how to read and write cyrillic. She was excited then, when she could read the words down her back. So they wanted her to get somewhere safe. That was nice.

 

Darcy had little time to think about it during school, or life. With her mother’s alcoholism and her fathers gaping absence well she started to think soulmates weren’t all that they were cracked up to be. So she shelved some of her dreams, and ignored her mother’s muffled sobs until she ran off to college. She started off in science, because hey someone was gonna ask her about astrophysics one day. Come to find out her lack of math skills carried over into higher education, who knew? So poli-sci it was. And she liked it. Lots of history and debating and realizing what kind of scumbags run the political scene in general.

 

In her senior year she needed an internship.

 

“So what do you know, about astrophysics and stuff?” Said Jane Foster her hopefully new boss, and Darcy started, her platonic soulmate.

 

“I’m more hip on the stuff part.” She answered through the haze of amazement. The grin that she got in return made Darcy want to dance.

 

“So you’re my non-romantic life partner?” Darcy then asked and Jane started to laugh. Darcy smiled wide, sure she would tear her cheeks.

 

“You got the job, forever.” Jane said suddenly hugging Darcy. And it felt right, it felt like she had known Jane her whole life and a day. Like this is what soulmates were like. But she threw that thought away because, after all her parents had been soulmates.

 

Then storm chasing, and alien Princes and the loss of her life long pal, and her Ipod. Darcy took this all in stride. Because really, what else was she going to do? Stupid big brother government agencies and their superheros.  

 

When Thor turned out to be Jane’s soulmate Darcy was happy for her, because really Jane needed some nice man in her life. But she was now, officially the third wheel. But she wouldn’t abandon her non-romantic life partner, because she had found a romantic life partner.

 

Darcy was secretly happy when he didn’t come back. Excluding New York, where Thor didn’t even come near them (meaning Jane) and saved the world from evil aliens, and apparently his psychopathic brother.

 

Then London. Fuck that stuffy city, that ruined her peace. And those weird elves. And really what kind of joke was that. Not one of them looked like Legolas. But Thor is back, which Yay no destruction of the universe. (But also, FUCK!, because now Jane stared mostly at his pectorals and not at her machines which Darcy kept running thank you very much.)

 

Thor took Jane to the newly named Avenger’s tower. (After SHEILDRA self imploded with the help of star spangled rage.) It was weird, because Jane knew she would come. Hadn’t actually asked her but still. Jane was her non-romantic life partner, and all she really had. Darcy ignored that fact. (Pushed her mother’s suicide to the back, dark corner of her mind. She hadn’t even told Jane.) You know the fact that if Jane decided she didn’t want her around anymore Darcy would be alone, and with the way Thor and Jane were revolving around each other. The way Darcy saw Jane only in the labs now, the way Jane had cut her out of her life. (Darcy knew this would happen, soulmates never worked out in her world.)

 

Darcy sat, curled on her couch in her impossibly huge apartment (floor). She half watched Super Nanny as she actually starred out of the window, chewing her lip raw. She had never really thought of her loneliness before, not before she had Jane. Before she was content to be alone, and hell it had worked like a charm.  Jane was pulling away, and Darcy could see why. Thor loved her like Darcy could never. The glass of vodka and orange juice (her breakfast, don’t tell Jane) was clutched between two hands.

 

She had told herself not to get attached. This is what happen, the Lewis women always went to booze, and she didn’t want to be her fucking mother. But four months in, and everything was static, and she was alone. Finishing the drink she put the glass in the sink before she threw it just for the satisfaction of it breaking. She slowly showered and dressed for a day in the lab.

 

One foot in front of the other. Keep breathing like she’d been taught. Darcy forced herself to smile and walked out into the elevator. She was sleepy, though she had just woken up, and felt detached as she began to go through Jane’s readings before Jane ever got there. Hey, this whole feeling was making her faster at work. She noticed as she finished her whole days work by nine, just as a frazzled looking Jane followed by Bruce came rushing by. Jane greeted her happily and shot by, Bruce gave her a small smile, which she returned. For a while she sat watching Jane and Bruce. It made her chest ache as Jane ranted and raved and Bruce (unlike Darcy) understood it.

 

Slowly she stood and waved lazily over her shoulder, giving no excuse as to where she was going. Only Bruce waved, and only half paying attention. She went back to her room, dropped her bag and laid down on the ground. She stared at the clean floors, and the fact that she couldn’t even clean to try and clear her mind bummed her out.

 

There was a knock at the door, and she turned to look at it. Feeling like she was watching something on the television. When the knock came again, and pulled herself up and stood staring at the door this time. Then with a smile pulling at her face like super glue, she opened the door. Standing on the other side strangely was Natasha. She smiled that smile, tiny, a barely there thing, but it was there. Darcy felt the threads of her own smile snap a little.

 

“Hey Nat, what can I do for you?” Darcy moved aside as the spysassin moved into the room and gazed around silently. So the ex-intern shut the door and turned towards the woman (who was still intimidating in jeans and a tank top.)

 

“Are you alright?” Natasha turned, her now short bod twirling as she turned to face Darcy, giving the younger the full force of her stare. Darcy felt her brain stutter to a halt.

 

“I’m fine.” Darcy said as she moved past the redhead to pick up her bag and put it on her kitchen table.

 

“Darcy.” Natasha said, voice flat and Darcy just started digging through her bag like she was looking for something. “Jarvis said you are acting oddly, and notified me.”

 

“I’m not acting oddly, I’m just tired.” Darcy said. Not realizing she had stopped moving and was now just staring into her bag.

 

Her bag was pulled away from her and dragged her eyes up to meet the calculating eyes of the Black Widow. Darcy tried not to look at her, but she could feel her chin quiver. She would not cry in front of the woman who could kill her with her thighs. (As all women should be able to.)

 

“Darcy.” Natasha sounded different, and Darcy realized she had looked down. Staring at the dark wood table that she had never really eaten a meal at.

 

“I’m fine, Natasha.” It came out harsher than she meant. “Sorry. I just don’t want to talk about this.” Darcy looked up and Natasha’s face was shuttered, blank and indifferent. “Please, I can deal with this.” She wanted to throw something, but instead curled her hand into a fist. She was so stupid. Stupid, useless Darcy. Surrounded by geniuses and superheroes and all she could do was file paperwork.

 

“You are far from useless.” Natasha said and she was gone.

 

Had she said that out loud, or was she that readable. Darcy sank to the floor again and tried to think. She needed out of this funk, and the best way was shopping. Walking to her room, she changed into something that made her feel like her again, leggings and a corset top. Pulling a knit cap and her brown leather boots on she grabbed her bag, applying lipstick.

 

“Hey Jeeves, can you get me a cab?” She pushed the elevator button and hopped in.

 

“Certainly Ms.Darcy, where to?” The elevator hummed away as she headed towards the lobby.

 

“I need to shop ‘til I drop.” Darcy said fluffing her hair in the reflection in the elevator doors.

 

“If that is the case, Sir states to use the Stark card and to have fun. Ms.Potts suggests to go to Madison avenue.” There was a pregnant pause where he was obviously listening to Pepper

and/or Tony. “Ms.Potts is also having Mr.Hogan drive you.”

 

“Ain’t she a doll.” Darcy walked out of the elevator to see Happy smiling at her from across the lobby. “Yo, Talladega Nights, Pepper has directed me to Madison Ave.” Happy grinned at her with a shake of his head.

 

“Oh I know.” He said as the exited the doors, him holding the door for her. She stopped when she spied Pepper and Natasha standing by the sleep black limo.

 

“So Jarvis said you were going to shop until your drop.” Pepper said with a smile.

 

“Totes ma goats.” Darcy said, a smile pulling at her cheeks as she met Natasha’s eyes. “Sorry about earlier. I’m in a funk.”

 

“I got that. Now I want new shoes, so are we doing this?” Nat was in tight jeans, a dark shirt, dark boots and that butter soft brown jacket.

 

“Aye aye, mon capitan.” Darcy gave sloppy salute and grinned at Pepper who was also in jeans but in a flowy, empire waisted top, with flats. Both women were gorgeous.

 

The shopping was so Pretty Woman it made her a bit sick, but in a good way. She got that both Pep and Nat understood what was going on, even though she didn’t talk about it. In the car, on the way back to the tower she grinned happily.

 

“I feel more like me.” She groaned and rubbed her head. “Thanks.”

 

“Anytime. I understand what you’re going through Darcy.” Pepper looked her straight in the eyes and Darcy knew that Pepper knew what was her problem.

 

“You’re happy for her.” That came from Nat who was looking out the window.

 

“Yes. Like over the fucking moon, but I have no one else.” Darcy shut up suddenly, no one knew about her mom.

 

“I’m sorry about your mother.” Nat said again and this time she looked right in Darcy’s eyes and Darcy shut her eyes.

 

“I just don’t understand.” She looked at Pepper, who was smiling gently at her. “Does everyone know?”

 

“Tony keeps tabs, and has been running around trying to figure out what to do. He cares.”

 

“No one else knows, not unless you want them to.” Nat was looking out the window again, and Darcy was crying, fucking up her great make up.

 

“You guys are like, the fucking best. I have my personal Batman and Wonder Woman.” Darcy was grinning and hugged first Pepper who hugged her back, in a very maternal way that warmed Darcy’s heart. She turned towards Natasha who she hugged too, and who awkwardly patted her back and hair but didn’t push her away. She counted it as a win.

 

“You aren’t alone. We’re here.” Pepper said, and Darcy smiled back. “Also, you should talk to Bruce. He’d be willing to listen.”

 

“He’s very good at it.” Natasha said and smiled, that small thing again.

 

~*~

It took two weeks before she got up the nerve to ask Bruce to talk. She shuffled into his lab, which was in sub-level 8, just below Jane’s and Above Tony’s labs. Jarvis opened the door for her, and Bruce glanced up when she stepped slowly into the lab.

 

“Darcy, what can I do for you?” The scientist had taken off his glasses and was smiling benignly at her.

 

“Well, Pepper said to...uh talk to you. And I just don’t want to bother you. So if you’re busy I’ll uh...vamoose.” Darcy was making a tactical retreat.

 

“Darcy, I’m not busy. What’s wrong.”

 

Jarvis had closed to door behind her, and it looked locked. Traitor. Darcy starred at her feet.

 

“My mother killed herself.” She said quietly, and the room suddenly was too quiet.

 

“Darcy.” Bruce’s voice was closer now, and she glanced up to see him frozen a few feet from her. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

 

She shrugged, throat tight. “You guys are pretty busy.”

 

Bruce hugged her suddenly, and he never touched anyone unless it was like a dire situation, and she found herself babbling.

 

“I mean, I wasn’t that surprised. Her soulmate walked out when I was born and she’s been in the bottle and I left because I couldn’t deal with it anymore.” She rested her head on his chest, as she babbled. They stood there for a good fifteen minutes, when she pulled back.

 

No words formed, because she realized she had cried, and probably looked like some horrible mess.  Bruce smiled at her, and handed a handkerchief. A fucking handkerchief, and she suddenly laughed a bit and chanced a glance up at him.

 

“Sorry I got you all wet.” She said, voice wet and heavy from her tears.

 

“Well I can just steal another shirt from Tony.” His smile was lopsided, and he slowly fixed her hair. “But, I think Jane is a little overwhelmed. I found Tony and my brain kind of fried for a while. She’ll come around, and if she doesn’t you’re not alone. You still have one more soulmate to find. I know how you feel, my first soulmate sort of abandoned me, but Betty found her better half. Now I have mine. So just hold on, okay?”

 

Darcy nodded and hugged him one more time, before her face split into a grin. “Go bother your mate for a shirt, because I got make up on it too.”

 

*~*

 

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, and The Winter Soldier were the same person now. He had all of his memories, from before and now. It was strange the first month. But she had killed the scientists after they were done, helpful or not, they were still HYDRA.

 

His goal was Steve, and he was in New York from what he could tell now. When he arrived at the tower he was greeted by the whole show of The Avengers minus the Hulk, but he could pick Banner standing behind them, in just purple pants. Steve’s jaw was tight and Bucky wanted to grin, soulmates or not Steve was going to kick his ass. His heart warmed thinking about the read words that ran down his left foot.

 

“Hey Punk.” Bucky said and Steve froze before a smiled.

 

“Hey Jerk.” But Steve looked weary still.

 

“If you want me to prove I’m me, I’ll tell some embarrassing stories. If you want.”  Bucky shrugged a little and saw Banner hide a laugh with a cough. “I’ve remembered for about two months, and well had to get my head around the shit I’ve done, but here I am.”

 

Then Steve hugged him, and Bucky was so happy he thought his brain was going to explode. Which in hindsight might actually happen. Bucky smiled, it’s looked strange on his face, but Steve hooker his arm over his shoulders and dragged him into the tower and to the private elevator. The rest of the Avengers followed them, as they chatted about the past, and apparently Bucky’s destruction of HYDRA/SHIELD bases in his attempts to regain him memories. It explained the destruction across the world of large facilities that had once been SHIELD

 

*~*

 

After a week of tests, and talking Bucky was given limited access to the tower. Everything but the labs, which he was totally fine with. considering what he was used to happening in labs. His days fell into a pattern of training, sparring and attempting to understand the modern pop culture.  

 

It didn’t help that Steve was just as lost as he was in that area.

 

“Jarvis.” Bucky siad from where he was sitting in the common room, intimidated by Tony’s listn of movies that shone from his Starkpad.

 

“Yes Sergeant Barnes?”

 

“Where should I start?” He waved the Starkpad around and looked pleadingly at a camera. There was a pregnant pause. Which turned into silence of five minutes. “Jarvis?”

 

Then sirens sounded.

 

“I have been compromised, Sergeant.” Then the floor went dark.

 

The Soldier was out before darkness had solidified. Scanning the room he stood, happy he never went anywhere unarmed. The building shook, and he was certain that an infiltration team had started its climb.

 

“Main processes back online. Sargent, they are headed towards the labs.” The Soldier moved, bypassing the elevator until it opened revealing a full strike team. He hid in the shadows, and watched as the swept the floor.

 

“Ясно” Echoed off the walls as Jarvis continued to act as if he were offline. The Soldier crept behind the four man team and felt something warm unravel with a smirk.

 

“Связаться.” He said, and watched as they whipped around, two scrambled backwards at his face.

 

“Oтказываться!” One shouted and he realised they thought he hadn’t broken the programming.

 

“Я не обучен сдаться.” The fight was quick and bloody.

 

“Jarvis, they are HYDRA. Wearing SHIELD and STARK security gear. Let everyone know, I’m on the move and descending on the offense.”

“Yes sir.” The Soldier hopped into the elevator and Jarvis accelerated it down, fast enough that his stomach flipped. “Captain Rogers would like you to know that he and Agent barton have swept the top ten floors, and are following you down. The office and administrative floors are clear, and I have sealed all doors.”

 

“Understood. Is the armory on sub-level five clear?” He checked his weapons. He had three clips for each of his two pistols, and six knives. He needed more.

 

“It is now, Sargent. All hostiles neutralized with nerve gas.”  Jarvis sounded more cool, more calculating than The Soldier had ever heard him.

 

When he reached sub-level one he took the stairs, killing or disabling all he came across. Until he reached the fifth level and the armory. On the ground were fifteen men, all dead, all in contorted poses.

 

After making sure they were well and truly dead he grabbed three more clips for each gun and a shotgun. On level six he ran into Ironman, who was taking down what seemed to be a giant turret with ease.

 

From below came an earth shattering roar.

 

“Banner.” The Soldier said.

 

“Barnes! Jane and her lacky are still down there.” Tony yelled over to him and The Soldier nodded.

 

*~*

 

Darcy stood behind the massive green leg of the Hulk, cradling Jane who was unconscious and bleeding. She was putting pressure on the arm wound, trying not to cry. When all the gunfire ended, Darcy looked up to see a Hulk hole in the ceiling and was happy that the big guy could easily break through the reinforced floors.

 

There was a sound behind her, so she turned, upon seeing a man in STARK security armor, she fired her taser at his face, and watched him go down. Only to notice his four buddies who were advancing on her. Obviously sure in their ability to take down an downed astrophysicist and her gopher.

 

That was until she watched as they were suddenly attacked from one of the air vents. One man being pulled up into the shaft and silenced. The other three began to shoot at the ceiling, and a man fell out in front of her. She knew Bucky by reputation and hotness but had yet to meet him. She really was glad to see him though, if what Natasha said was true, he was kickass.

 

The fight was fast, and brutal. Darcy blinked when he turned towards her and dropped to his knees. Tying off Jane’s arm and looked up at her. He had super blue eyes.

 

“Вы должны двигаться туда, где это безопасно.” He said scooping up Jane and walking towards the doors, where she could see Steve standing. The Cap. took Jane and took off running shouting something she was pretty sure was shit in German.

 

“I feel pretty safe with you, Robo cop.” He heart was in her throat, as he turned towards his eyes wide and searching.

 

“What did you say?” His brooklyn accent was thick and heavy.

 

“I said I feel safe with you, Robo c-” she was cut off as he kissed her, rough and hard. Just the way mama liked it. She buried her hands in his long hair and when he pulled away she whined in her throat.

 

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere doll.”

 

*~*

 

The weeks that followed ended with them team taking over the Stark’s New York mansion. With Darcy and Bucky learning everything about each other. Bucky had nightmares, that rolled through the room like his muffled screams. Darcy at first didn’t know what to do. Until one night she saw her words on his stomach.

 

“Bucky” she said. “Wake up.” She shook him, hoping he wouldn’t shoot up and snap her arm.

“Bucky! Please!”

 

Then his eyes snapped open and he was out of bed looking for enemies, or the chair. she wasn’t sure. But when he spotted her he relaxed.

 

“Darce.”

 

So she crawled off the bed and hugged him close to her chest.

 

“Вы должны двигаться туда, где это безопасно.” She murmured and he snorted and laugh.

 

“Your accent it terrible.”

 

“I was trying to be comforting, jackass.”

 

“I feel pretty safe here, doll.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Russian in order: 
> 
> You have to move to where it's safe.
> 
> Clear
> 
> Contact
> 
> Surrender! 
> 
> I am not trained to surrender.


	2. She's Titanium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy was born with no soulmark. This was not worrying, because they may not be alive yet, so her parents waited with bated breath for a mark to show up. But it didn’t, and here Darcy was 22 and still blank and it didn’t bother her at all. In fact she thought it was better than anything. She’d make her own destiny.

Darcy was born with no soulmark. This was not worrying, because they may not be alive yet, so her parents waited with bated breath for a mark to show up. But it didn’t, and here Darcy was 22 and still blank and it didn’t bother her at all. In fact she thought it was better than anything. She’d make her own destiny.

 

So she did what she wanted, watching people following soulmarks. And she found it strange, basing your life of a part of a conversation you hadn’t even had yet. Poli-Sci became her first love, (after all of the Backstreet Boys) and she flourished but when the internship was required and no one wanted her, because she may have schooled her professors in sexism and sexual harassment. ( aka awesome-sauce tits didn’t mean she was gonna put out for good grades.)

 

But Jane ended up being pretty awesome, aside from the scientist’s discomfort over her lack of soulmark. She’d brought it up once, and at the scathing remarks from Darcy had never done so again.

 

Thor was amazing, Darcy decided. Mostly because he took her lack of mark in stride. When he asked, after it turned out that he was Jane’s soulmate, she answered him curtly. And he nodded before saying that many Asgardians didn’t have marks. That made her a little more happy, the lack of marks made it easier for her to interact with the cut-hobo, later obvious god.

 

Jane seemed more accepting of her after that, and it smoothed out much of their relationship. Since, her soulmate was so chill with the blank skin that darcy had. London was fun, but hard on her social life as Jane was in super Science! mode trying to get Thor back (even after New York where he didn’t even pop in, but alien attack takes precedence she understood)

 

Ian was a huge mistake, and surprisingly Thor told her so. When he popped back up to save the world...again. He big brothered the intern-intern out of the picture. When Thor stayed Darcy watched as her life changed. Again. But she held herself together, with her iron will and sarcasm.

 

Moving to Stark Tower was cool. Didn’t stop her from feeling out of place. With all the happy soul mate couples, and soulmarked people. It made her bitter, briefly before she ruined herself back in and threw herself into Sciencetist (!!) babysitting.

 

“Feeding and watering time!” She yelled as she traipsed through the door into the joint labs of the trio of super, insane, geniuses. No one looked up at her, and she sighed. Putting the tray down that held three sandwiches and varying drinks. “Jarvis, it’s time to let the zookeeper do her job.”

 

“Certainly, Ms.Lewis.” All of the screens shut off and at the squawks of the interruption of Science (!) Darcy picked up the tray again and slid it in front of the three. Who all glared at her (or stared calmly at her, that being Bruce.)

“Eat and you can get back to it. Jarvis is under strict instructions to make sure you are fed and watered. Aren’t you J?”

 

“You were very adamant, Ms.Lewis.” The AI sounded very amused and then lapsed into what could only be mocking silence at Tony’s shout of traitor.

 

“Eat.” She pointed at all of them, and they all picked up their sandwiches, Bruce being the only one who didn’t grumble while he did so. When they finished, Darcy gave them a pleasant smile and left, tray in hand.

 

She hopped into the elevator and grinned the camera as it moved without her having to tell Jarvis where to go. The communal kitchen was empty, so she took time making her own meal. She sat at the bar eating her peanut butter, nutella and banana sandwich with milk. She was staring out the floor to ceiling windows when Steve walked in, looking grumpy. His Captain America face was in full swing and Darcy watched him grab a water bottle from the fridge and take a swig before she asked.

 

“What’s wrong there grumpy?” Darcy took another bite of her sandwich as Steve whipped around, wow point to her for scaring the super soldier.

 

He shrugged briefly and then took in her unimpressed expression over her milk glass. Darcy was the unofficial sounding board for the superpowered and super brained and grumpy agents. (Natasha was the only one who hadn’t used her for that purpose. At least not verbally) The super-solider sighed and leaned across from her at the bar.

 

“It’s Bucky?” Steve said.

 

“I thought he said to call him James.” Darcy said with a quirked eyebrow.

 

“I-I know but it’s hard y’know? I mean he’s my soulmate but he doesn’t remember.” Steve rubbed his face and Darcy felt her heart break a bit. “I feel so useless, and I mean -”

 

“Well think about it this was Spangles, the scientists three are working on getting him his memories back. Those Hydra raids were helpful, turned up goods that are helping. From what I can tell.” She hopped down and put her dishes in the dishwasher. “It’ll get better.”

 

He was watching her when she turned around, and she smiled. He still looked like he was about burst into tears. So she hugged him around is insanely tiny waist. (Seriously it was smaller that her’s.)

 

“Have you met yours?” Steve asked, and it was an innocent question. But Darcy froze. She hadn’t told anyone. And she knew the history book like the back of her hand. In Steve time the lack of mark was considered bad. The catholic church deemed it that it meant you had no soul. Forsaking those people. It worried her that he’d treat her differently. He must have noticed her tensing because he pushed her away a bit and looked down at her, worry etched on his very handsome face. “Darce? You okay? You don’t have to answer. It’s okay. It was rude for me to ask.” He moved away a bit and Darcy grabbed his arm. (Wow her hands were tiny.)

 

“I don’t have a mark Steve. I’m a blank.” She stared at the marble floor and waited for him to pull away. She’d had a lot of people do that, and she liked Steve. Like she’d eat gross food in front of him.

 

“Oh.” He didn’t move. “My Ma and Da were blanks.” He says without missing a beat, and she whipped her head up to stare at his smiling face. Then he hugged her and she clung to him glad he understood. “I didn’t have a mark until after the serum.” He continued as he pulled away. “Maybe something is gonna change. Ya never know. And if not, my parents loved each other with everything.”

 

“Thanks, Steve.”

 

“Do you want chocolate chip pancakes?” He asked when she didn’t look up.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good. Sit down and I’ll make them.”

 

Steve and her became best buddies after that, and she helped him figure out what to do with James. Including getting Steve used to calling him no Bucky. It was a learning curve. But it worked pretty well, watching Bucky finally come back after everything.

 

Bucky (now Bucky not James, James in boring.) accepted her just as readily as Steve and made the best hamburgers ever when she got depressed. And said she was the Queen of all baked goods.

 

On a Tuesday a year and a half after moving in she walked in for feeding and watering time, laughing at Bruce’s face at his peanut butter and banana sandwich (He loved them, she caught him making one one time) the lab erupted into chaos.

 

~*~

 

It was like Darcy’s brain had been scrambled when she woke up, and really that was a giant green chest above her. She liked the Hulk, they bonded over kittens and 50 pound chocolate bars.

 

“Hey big guy.” She said, and her voice was heavy and she felt heavy and sleepy. The Hulk looked down at her, and his eyes were a swirl of brown and green.

 

“Darcy.” He rumbled and he looked up again and around. There was a lot of yelling and she could hear Tony and maybe Thor. But everything was fuzzy.

 

There was movement next to her and she glanced up to see Steve and Bucky. Well at least their shoes. Hulk was still hunched over her and he was rumbling above her as well.

 

“Darcy is hurt.” he rumbled  and stood to his full height. Kudos to Stark for making the ceiling tall enough. She looked down, because she wanted to see what no had Steve looking wild eyed above her.

 

Huh, she’d been impaled. It looked to be a part of Tony’s new suit. Then everything went blurry because, oh that hurt.

 

“She’s - ea wound St-” Bucky pushed away a table with his metal arm, making more room. Then Darcy went to dreamland, because this was way too much pain to be conscious.

 

She woke up to an irritating beep. Fuck that beep. It was messing with her driftiness. So she opened her eyes to legit smash that fucking thing with a hammer, or maybe she’d get Thor to do it. So much better as a whole idea.

 

“Ungg” She said when she found the room too bright, and then tried a second time to find it much more bearable. She looked around and found Steve pushing a button above her head. “Hey there Spangles.”

 

“Hey, Darce.” He looked like he was going to cry, and that was worrisome.

 

“I’m alive, what’s with a water works?” When she coughed at the dryness of her throat he slipped a small ice cube between her lips. He smiled, it was watery and dread filled her stomach. “Steve?”

 

“Tony’s building you new ones.” Steve said, and a tear ran down his cheek, and she raised her hand and wiped it away. “There was an explosion in the labs, and you were flung across the lab, and we didn’t - we couldn’t.”

 

“What Steve?” Her voice was shrill.

 

“We couldn’t save your legs.”

 

~*~

 

In the weeks that followed, she learned how to drive a wheelchair Tony had made. And felt the eyes of everyone staring at her. She wanted to throw things, so she did. She wrecked her whole room. And ended on the floor, her chair rolling away and she cried. Hadn’t she dealt with enough in her life, had a shitty hand. Been given a family who ignored her, people who treated her like a leper.

 

Laying in the midst of wrecked cds and books is where Natasha found her. The woman picked her up, and cleaned up around the room as Darcy stared listlessly out the window.

 

“I can’t do this.” Darcy said suddenly.

 

“Then don’t. Show them you aren’t broken.” Natasha said crouching in front of her chair. “You’re still you. Were you your legs? If I lost my hand I’d still be me.” She smiled. “Bucky is still Bucky.”

 

Darcy started up her babysitting again. Jarvis really helped her out, making sure she knew the pathways that let her roll happily away. Steve got an earful at  his puppy dog eyes, and so did Tony. She was still Darcy, for fucks sake.

 

When Tony told her to come to the lab, and Pepper met her at the elevator with a grin she smiled back. The CEO was one of the few who treated her exactly the same. Tony had been buying her things lately, a lot of things. She was worried there was going to be a pony in the lab. Not that that wouldn’t be fucking sweet. A pony. Aw yeah.  

 

When she rolled into the lab Tony made a grand gesture to what was the most beautiful set of legs she’d ever seen. There were eight pairs, technically, but damn. All different colors. From gold to royal blue and Tony grinned at her. Telling her about the implants they’d have to put in her skull so she could use the cybernetics. She agreed because those candy red ones looked fucking kick ass with the detachable heels and shit.

 

~*~

 

She woke up to the beeping again. Fuck. That was the worst sound ever. She’d have to tell Stark. See if he could make something that was less irritating. He’d figure it out. He’d better.

 

Opening her eyes she found Tony sleeping in the chair next to her, and she poked his nose. because it was right there, and he flailed and fell off the chair into a great lump on the floor. Her laughed echoed a bit in the large room, which was in the tower’s medical wing.

 

“You’re awake! How do you feel?” He popped up, eyes wide.

 

“Like I put my head in a meat grinder.”

 

“Good analogy.” He grinned. “You’ll have to wait a month but then we can attach the legs and you can learn to walk again. Gives me time to make them more awesome, and Bucky’s helping with the cybernetics part. We attach these nodes and -”

 

“I have enough drugs in my blood stream that I’m pretty sure I could fly. So cool.” Then she fell asleep again.

 

Whens he woke up next it was to steve grinning, and Bucky drooling next to her hip. “He’s gonna be so mad you woke up on my shift.”

 

“Well he shouldn’t have fallen asleep.” She mumbled. “Hey there, btw.” She said poking his bicep.

 

“Hey Darce.” Then Bucky popped up, snorting and with bed creases on one side of his face.

 

“Aw isn’t he so dashing.”

 

“Like a prince.” Steve added deadpan.

 

*~*

 

“These are fucking. Sweet - like hot damn.” She did a turn on the candy red legs. “And don’t think I didn’t notice they match the suit.”

 

Tony grinned happily as she strutted around the lab. Bruce shook his head.

 

“And don’t think I didn’t notice there is a pair for every avenger. And just, these are awesome. You’re like the super best.” Darcy hugged him and for a second Tony froze.

 

“Hey Short-stack, I gotta ask. Has anyone told you about your head yet?” Tony asked suddenly when they pulled away.

 

“I’ve been avoiding mirrors.” She frowned. “Short hair, not my thing.”

 

“I- I need to show you this then. Hey J, pull up that one picture.” In the middle of the room a picture of her bald ass head popped up. She’d never seen it, and had demanded a hat. As soon as she was allowed.

 

On her bald ass head were words. In slanting script that curled around her cranium.

 

**_“Please tell me those aren't robot legs, Ms.Lewis”_ **

 

She starred. And rubbed her eyes, then looked at Tony who looked pleased.

 

“Not so blank after all huh.”   
  
She sat down on the stool and looked at Bruce, who shrugged at her. Then she looked back at Tony, and opened her mouth.

 

“Is this for real, J?”

 

“Indeed Ms.Lewis. We were all quite surprised at it’s discovery.”  

 

“Shit.”

 

~*~

 

“Please tell me those aren’t robot legs, Ms.Lewis”

 

She turned around, and smirked.

 

“Please tell me that’s a real eyepatch, Mr.Fury.”

 

Nick stared and then glared at her.

 

“The fuck did you just say?”

 

“You heard. Aren’t they nice, there are my Hulk ones. He likes them”

 

“Shit.” The Director of (now-rebuilding) SHIELD looked her up and down. “They do some great things for you.”

 

Darcy smiled. But her brain was screaming at the fact that Nick Fury, super spy assassin leader dude was her soulmate. This was strange, Tony’d die laughing.

 

“I’ll be picking you up at eight for dinner, it’s that’s fine.”

 

“Sure thing Nick. I’ll change my legs for you.” She caught the slight smile on his face before he turned around.

 

“Tell Stark he should make you a matte black pair. That’d be incredibly sexy.” He said that just as the elevator doors closed and she sat on the couch gaping now at the wall.

 

“Jarvis?”

 

“Dr. Foster, Agent Romanoff, and Ms. Potts are already on their way, and there is pistachio ice cream in the freezer.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

 


	3. No Money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You think I won't chase her off?"
> 
> Pepper frowned. "I don't think so. Soulmates are more than just words on your skin Tony."

Tony Stark had done everything he could to advance science into the science fiction realm until people said he was the Divinci of his time. Which okay, he could see it. But really. He did this because of his soulmark. Meaning, of course, the first words his supposed soulmate would say to him. Not that it held any truth, his father had said soulmates were a sham. And being Tony Stark, son of Howard and Maria Stark he had to prove him wrong. He studied bonds, and showed the scientific and social connection of fully bonded pairs.

 

He was the leading source on it. But that didn’t suggest that he thought his soulmate was waiting out there for him. Or if they would want him, as the so called Merchant of Death, and now Ironman. He had his relationship with Pepper, since neither of them had found their soulmates. Until Pepper found Phil (actual first name Agent) and he gracefully stepped down. Didn’t stop him from teasing the man at every turn. He even understood them keeping it secret. Seeing as they both were pretty powerful figures.

 

After the New York attack, and his standoff with a Mandarin aka  Aldrich Killian and Extermis. It was odd to be back in the now fixed tower. Pepper was working as the CEO, from Malibu where Phil was still recovering after SHEILD turned out to be HYDRA (Who knew!). Not that he was surprised.

 

So it wasn’t a surprise that Tony was checking his soulmark, the newest suit had exploded. (Totally not his fault.) His arm had been in the blast, so he was reverently running his fingers over the words on his left forearm.

 

You! Stop breaking physics! Was in slanted, curling cursive twirling around the muscles of his arm. His father, he remembered, had laughed the day they showed up. It was three days before they had died. It was the only time he could remember his father really laughing. His fathers following words that he should strive to break the laws of physics as much as possible may have made him into what he was today. (Not that he'd tell anyone)

 

When Bruce showed back up at the tower with a sheepish smile he showed the man to his own floor. (They all had a floor, even Natasha.) Soon Steve and his soulmate (not really surprising) Bucky showed up, both looking haggard and half dead.

 

One morning while groping for the coffee pot, Tony was handed a full mug by Natasha who made him sit at the breakfast counter while she and Clint made food. No one questioned it. They all had breakfast, every weekend together.

 

On one formally sunny morning, thunder rolled and Thor was standing on the balcony with a big boyish grin.

 

*~*

 

“So you’re dating the astrophysicist Jane Foster?” Tony said, protectively hugging his coffee to his chest.

 

“Indeed, Man of Iron. She is my beloved.” Thor had plowed through half the kitchen by the time this conversation happened. Tony was morbidly fascinated.

 

“Well she can come here too, we have enough lab space.” Tony may have wanted to oogle her formulas. Because the Einstein Rosen Bridge was a thing now. The tall alien prince in front of him was proof of that. But also, she was Thor’s soulmate and he wasn’t going to keep them apart. He had no right to do that, so he’d bring them together. That and watching the big guy mope around was horrible. It was like kicking a puppy, just not right.

 

“My Lady Jane, may she also bring her assistant Lady Darcy. They are the best of friends.” Thor was pouring half a jug of orange juice into what Tony suspected was a Big Gulp from 7 Eleven. When he looked harder he could see that someone had put foam, sticky letters on it to spell Thor.

 

“That’s fine.” Tony said as he watched the Norse god chug his drink. “Totally fine.”

 

*~*  
  


Darcy was excited to move into the swankified Stark Tower, more because that meant hot showers, and no creepy men starring in the windows anymore. (That had happened only once, and he’s gotten an earful from Thor.) She even had sparkling new Poli-Sci, Sociology and History degrees. When they pulled up in front of the tower, she hopped out and put her hands on her hips.

 

“Well this doesn’t say compensating.” She said to Jane, who came to stand beside her. The two stared up the side of the shining building.

 

“Just don’t say that to his face, he’s putting you up, remember.” Jane said with a smile.

 

“Sure. Totally zip the lip. No talks about the giant penis building.” Jane gently elbowed her in her side and Darcy laughed.

 

Most of their things were Jane’s equipment which was being hauled away by wide eyed science nerds. It actually ended with Darcy trying to carry her laptop case, her backpack and her two large suitcases on her own. (Jane meanwhile was being toted around on the arm of Tony Stark, when had he gotten here? Well it’s his giant penis tower, but that is besides the point.)

 

She was fighting up towards the elevator which she had been given a card to when someone tapped her shoulder.

“Do you need some help?” She turned expecting some science person but ran into a over six foot wall of blond behemoth, and his equally buff shadow.

 

“Uh...you wouldn’t mind?” Darcy smiled and got a smile in return.

 

“No. So you’re Dr.Foster’s assistant?” The man said. She quickly connected the dots. Captian ‘Merica and his brainwashed soulmate slash assassin. Sweet.

 

“I prefer babysitter. Sometimes I even make airplane noises when I try to feed her.” The two men took her bags (which were way heavy) and herded her towards the elevators.

 

There was a snort of laughter from the so far silent Bucky Barnes, and Darcy smiled.

 

“Darcy Lewis, by the by. Even though you probably know that.” She said pushing the button for the 85 floor. She got her own floor, fuck yeah.

 

“Steve, that lug over there is Bucky.” She smiled at them and then looked Steve straight in the eyes.

 

“Does that spandex chafe?” His eyes were wide and scared, and Bucky’s unfettered laughter filled the elevator. “No really, I’m curious. Like it looks so not breathable and you fucking run and punch and do superhero junk in them. I mean Thor told me his armour chafes, and I mean spandex isn’t that nice a thing to deal with.”

 

“It does.” he said blinking and she nodded.

 

“Why didn’t you have anyone helping you?” Bucky asked frowned suddenly.

 

“Jane just got proved not to be a crack pot a few years ago. She is way more important than me.” Darcy shrugged and turned towards the doors as they slid open. “I’m used to it.”

 

She didn’t see the look shared between the two men behind her. They had read the files on her and Jane. From what they could understand she was insanely smart.

 

“Thanks guys! This would have been horrible on my own.” She had opened her door and waved them in so they could put the bags down. “Also second question, how are you wading through pop culture?”

 

Steve and Bucky were pulled from their silent conversation to look at her. “Not very far, I’ve watched a few eighties movies, but I’ve been busy until recently.”

 

Bucky narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

 

“Well if you ever need help with that I’m your gal. Pop culture is my bread and butter.” She smiled at them, and they had to figure out where she had heard she wasn’t important.

 

*~*

Darcy quickly fell into a thing, where she fed the scientists three. Though never really spoke with any other them. Bruce said Hi once, and Tony ignored her. (She ranked below Science! she knew). She started to get used to it really, until Steve and Bucky put the puppy dog eyes on her and she started giving them movies and books and music to look into.

 

Turns out Bucky was sort of a book worm and Steve liked film. Which totally cool. But she couldn’t resist scarring them for the rest of their natural born lives. So five months into her stay at the penis tower, with Halloween ever closer she took them to A Rocky Horror showing.

 

She dressed up for the occasion and Steve blushed so hard she thought his head was going to pop off, but she smiled at his worry. Bucky leered and she popped a hip out at him. But got them in the car and to the theater where people were milling about and laughing. When all was said and done Bucky was laughing and Steve looked so embarrassed that Darcy knew she had done good.

 

“Doll, that was so wrong.” Steve said as the rode the elevator back up to their floor where food was waiting.

 

“It’s a cult classic, and now you know why Stark calls you Rocky.”

 

They had eaten and laughed, and all was well. Even is Steve couldn’t look her in the eye for a few days.

 

*~*

 

Darcy wasn’t entirely sure what happened, but JARVIS had called her to Tony’s workshop. So she trudged there at four in the goddamn morning. Walking through the door she was met with the sight of a mini black hole sucking all the office supplies off Tony’s desk and Tony hiding behind his desk, eyes peeking over it. The wide eyed look he gave her made it hard to be mad, since he had dark bruises of insomnia under his eyes.

 

She looked at the ceiling and sighed. “J, cut all power to the lab, that should kill the mini black hole.” It had worked for Jane’s mini black hole, and sure enough it closed just as the power cut leaving the emergency lights on. “Alright then.” She pushed a sigh past her lips and rounded on U.

 

“You straighten the desks!” She turned to Dummy. “You put the fire extinguisher down!” Finally she turned on the super genius with narrowed eyes. “You! Stop breaking physics!” Then she advanced on him and pulled him towards the cot he had in the corner of the lab. Surprisingly he went easily and she tucked him in and told J to shut down everything after saving, and make sure billionaire scientists got enough sleep, before fiddling with black hole formulas.

 

*~*

 

When Tony woke up, he stared at the ceiling for so long that JARVIS broke the silence.

 

“Sir, would you like me to pull up the security footage of last night?” The crisp tone of the AI’s voice echoed through the lab.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Totally.” He watched the footage seven times, before he pushed himself up and towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He stood there listening to Darcy’s voice echo through the room.

 

“You! Stop breaking physics!” Tony watched it again, and again. He liked Darcy, but had never spoken to her. She was witty and a spitfire. She was his soulmate.

 

What was he going to do? Would she want him at all?

 

"Sir, I might suggest speaking with Miss Lewis." Jarvis said, as Tony began to pull up different things around the lab.

 

But the genius was too far gone. He'd have to woo her. Gifts. All the gifts.

 

*~*

 

Darcy was staring at the new super, evil looking coffee machine in her apartment. It had at least forty buttons and had instructions in italian. The fuck? Where was Pete? (Her trusty coffee maker that had survived Loki and dark, ugly elves, not to mention college.)

 

"J, what happened to Pete?" Darcy glared at the ceiling. There was a pregnant pause. "Jarvis." She crossed her arms and glared harder.

 

"The aforementioned device has been replaced." It sounded forced and a little timid.

 

Good, she thought, let him shake in his virtual boots. Over the last month all types of fancy things had showed up in her apartment.

 

Paintings she loved. That couch she had been ogling. Movies. And new iPod. Clothing. Hair products.

 

The worst thing was that all those she knew into the tower had money (unlike her). Narrowing it down was impossible, unless she could bully Jarvis. She glared hotly at the ceiling,and crossed her arms.

 

“Jarvis.” She snapped, popping out a hip. Over the speakers another voice answered her.

 

“This is Pepper Potts.” It was a business tone and Darcy froze. She’d only ever met the formidable ginger once.

 

“Hey, so are you replacing my things with fancier things?” Darcy said, hoping to not embarrass herself  in front (not really in front, on the phone with?) of Pepper Potts. The woman was her idol, not that she’d say that to anyone.

 

“Jarvis usually only panic calls me when Tony has done something catastrophic.” silence reigned again. “I’ll be flying in in two hours, we’ll talk then Miss Lewis.”

 

Therefore, Darcy spent about an hour and forty minutes freaking out about what she could have done to have a personal meeting with Pepper Potts. Then she tried to make herself presentable, meanin she changed out of her ratty Invader Zim PJs and into some nice dark jeans and a flowy top that hid the girls nicely.

 

When Jarvis told her to go to the executive offices Darcy thought she was going to die. Die a horrible mess where Pepper Potts typed her into nonexistance. Or maybe comander Jarvis to do it for her.

 

The elevator doors opened and she had to go down a long hallway, that had what she was sure was a Jackson Pollock hanging at the end. She was so dead. So very, very dead.  

 

The secretary gave her a dubious look but waved her through. And if the hallway was intimidating, well she should be shitting her pants when it came to the office. It was obviously a scare tactic. Businesses had those, had you seen SHEILD/HYDRA's base? She had, they had tried to recruit her.

 

"Ms.Lewis." Pepper Potts was just as rockin in real life as she was on magazine covers.

 

"Hey." Darcy said trying to not sound as worried as she was, she probably failed at that.

 

"JARVIS informed that you are having things go missing and from your previous comment."

 

"Swanky stuff, yeah. It's a bit weird." Darcy sat in one of fancy chairs at the desk and looked at someone she had fangasamed about in her poli-sci classes.

 

"Has Tony done anything unprofessional to you lately?"

 

"Nope." Darcy's eyes were trained on the spiny Ferris wheel thing. "How do you not get distracted by this thing?" Darcy snapped her mouth closed, the soldiered on. "I mean he dos call me at an ungodly hour because he'd made a mini black hole that was eating all his office supplies."

 

"You talk to him often?" Pepper had arched a brow at her.

 

"Not really, I'm Jane's intern and wrangler. I mean we've been in the same room. Just not like in the same intelligence range for conversing." Darcy shrugged. "I'm not as important as Science! I'm used to it." Darcy smiled then and had to stop short because Pepper looked deadly suddenly.

 

"Alright Ms.Lewis. I dug down into who was replacing things at it was Jarvis. He said he heard you complaining and just replaced the things. I'll tell him to refrain."

 

"Oh, okay. It, uhh was nice meeting you."

 

"Ditto. Phil was asking when you were going to come bother him again." Pepper smiled gently and Darcy smiled back.

 

"When I can get there. Tell Agent No Fun I'll be there eventually."  

 

*~*

 

Pepper strode down into the bowels of the building and into Tony's workshop. Jarvis turned off the pounding music and Tony popped up ready to grouch until he spied Pepper and her cloudy expression.

 

"Tony." Pepper growled and the genius paled.

 

"I didn't do it." He suddenly said and stood quickly.

 

Pepper walked over and with a sigh took the tools from his clenched hands. She loved him, always would. He was her best friend, but also completely unsure when it came to love and other people.

 

"Tony when did you find out?" Pepper looked into his honey and chocolate eyes. He smiled, in that self deprecating way that killed her heart a bit each time.

 

"About a month."

 

"Tony talk to her." Pepper smiled. "Please."

 

Tony sighed, a big full boy sigh and flopped onto the rolly chair that was sitting behind his desk.

 

"You think I won't chase her off?"

 

Pepper frowned. "I don't think so. Soulmates are more than just words on your skin Tony." She tugged on a piece of greasy hair.

 

*~*

 

Tony was sitting at the breakfast bar, head low, eyes staring into his coffee when from behind him came a voice.

 

"What's with the pity party boss man?" Tony felt he heart stop. "Have you eaten yet?" Darcy had walked around the counter and leaned on it across from him.

 

"No. Haven't eaten. Haven't sleep. Kinda lost." Tony said without much thought and watched Darcy freeze and felt dread build in his gut.

 

"You replaced my coffee pot with that demon machine, didn't you?" Darcy said with a playful frown.

 

"You called that a coffee machine?" Tony said with false disgust.

 

"Come on, let's get to bed." Darcy pulled the cold coffee out of his hand.

 

"Jumping in quick there babe." Tony grinned, though Darcy noticed it didn't reach his eyes.

 

"Nap time cuddles are awesome, don't knock them." Darcy grabbed his hand lightly, happy he had taken a shower already.

 

"A nap sounds nice."

 

"It sure does space cadet."

 

They slept for thirteen hours, mostly twined together in a knot. Pepper saved pictures to make her happy when she was sad.

 

 


	4. The one with chickens...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was on a normal Tuesday, and he felt like he was in a Buffy episode because what was up with Tuesdays?

Clint was born with **Got a suit?** running down his left thigh. For a long time he thought he was going to be dragged to some sort of party where you needed a tuxedo. In the circus he thought that he’d be dragged into one of those stupid acts where he had to wear spandex and not his shooting outfit.

The farther he went along in his life, the more anxiety knotted his gut. So he decided to say things that were so common place, and bland that maybe whoever they were would pass over him. And he could move on, like Natasha had from Yasha. But Natasha was adamant, or as adamant as she got that he not shut out his soulmate.

He didn’t really want to, but he knew he didn’t deserve them. He killed so many as a mercenary, and now as an agent. After every mission he’d run a thumb down the words, after a few he’s tried to scrub them away. They never faded though, no matter if he scrubbed the skin away.  
Tasha had been an anchor after he had pulled her onto SHIELD's roster. For a long time he was her anchor, and then it was both ways. It was great and a good thing to have in the back of his mind when he saw her give him a tiny smile.

Then Loki, and he seemed to have so much more blood soaking his hands that he couldn’t even think about his soulmate as he fought through the haze of mind control, Tasha by his side. It was hard to wrap his mind around anything, but Tasha’s steady gaze centered him and he was even more glad that she was there. When he could stand he went into the bathroom, and splashed water on his face, and washed his hands.

He heard a voice through the door, it was deep and had an edge to it. When he left the bathroom he answered a question about flying the quinjet easily.

“I can.” Clint looked up, and it was Captain America. Strange, he thought to be on the Captain's side when he had been assaulting the helicarrier not that long ago.

The Captain looked to Tasha who nodded and he looked back blue eyes clear. “Got a suit?” Clint’s stomach dropped so he nodded and said a quiet yes. Tasha gave him a look as the tall man left, it said they’d talk about that later.

When they did, it ended with a fight. The only one he can ever remember them having. They stopped talking, and he left on a mission to the fucking North Pole. It took a year or so, and then he asked for time off. The uppers must have agreed because he got a year’s leave. Which was more than he thought he’d ever get. But he hides away at his farm that he bought one time because it was under investigation due to animal abuse. So now he had six horses, a cow and a chicken for every one of the avengers, more because he was lonely and bored.

He was sitting in his underwear one Tuesday morning, Tasha chicken eating the cheerios he tossed on the floor under his legs that were propped up on the table, a spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth when Top Chef cut off for breaking news. He saw Tasha and Steve ( his soulmate his grubby little mind supplied) and his stomach dropped and he watched the news then eyes unblinking. The only contact he got was a text that read “HYDRA” , from a blocked number with NR at the end. When all was said and done he was unemployed sitting the porch, still in his underwear but now mostly drunk with his barefeet keeping the pigmy, brown chicken named Tony and the hulking figure of Thor chicken from pecking at each other.

Tasha chicken was on his lap, asleep when he heard a car on gravel. Since his was the only house for miles it was obvious where they were headed. He had, he calculated, around seven minutes to get to cover. He wasn’t naive enough to believe the HYDRA had just forgotten about him.

Dumping Tasha chicken on the floor, he ran up to his room, threw on his tactical suit. Then he dashed down the hall, and unlocked his weapons room. He grabbed a full quiver, his bow, and two handguns, all which were carefully strapped on. He switched his normal hearing aids (he still used them when he was lazy) for the special ones Tony had sent him, these hid completely in his ear and conveniently had JARVIS attached. The microphone was embedded in the little hawk symbol on his chest. (He’d taken two hours attaching it just right when it had shown up on his doorstep.)

The car was pulling up to his house, with an acrobatic bit of movement he was in his nest. The farmhouse had four steeples. They were all dummies. Clint was crouched in the false ceiling of his house and gazed out the slotted windows to the sight of two large black SUVs. His vision was swimming a bit, but he focused through it. He’d fought drunk before, it was okay. Fine. Totally fine. Sort of.

It was a ten man team, all in tactical gear, and sporting serious weaponry. Where he was, it was impossible to see from the ground, in or outside the house unless you knew where to look. He’d designed and made it himself. He’d let them sweep and then pick them off, it was the safest bet, so he didn’t get hurt.

“Agent Barton, I’m pleased to find you wearing the aids Sir made you.” Clint almost jumped out of his skin, it took all his training to not jump and squeal.

“Hey JARVIS, so Tony knows, I have a HYDRA team attacking my house. So please thank him before I die.” He said this a hushed tones as he watched the men fan out. Then one of them kicked Tony chicken and he narrowed his eyes. “Or before I kill them all.”

“Right away, Agent Barton.”

Clint was getting pissed as he watched them kick his chickens, those chicken were his friends. (Side point: He needed to reevaluate his life.) With a glare he decided to start the pickings now. His first arrow hit a man to the far left, he was able to pick off four before the others realized what was going on. He grinned as he moved around his house. The nest wrapping around the entire outside. They open fired on the dummies, and he cackled to himself.

“Hey birdbrain, I’m on my way. Don’t cackle like that.”

Clint snickered again. “They’re so dumb, lookit them.” Clint said knowing the billionaire would hear him.

“I can’t see from your hearing aids.”Tony grumbled.

“They kicked Tony chicken, Tony.”

“Tony chick-, did you name a chicken after me?”

“Yep.” Clint felt a bullet hit his leg, just grazing. “How far out are you?”

“Two minutes, and I should totally be like something awesome.”

“No, everyone gets a chicken. Except for Fury and JARVIS.” Clint started to bind the bleeding wound, using the conversation to keep his mind centered.

“What did they get?” Tony asks, he sounded as if he were trying not to laugh.

“Fury is my barn cat, it’s an asshole. JARVIS is this greyhound I found walking on the highway a few months back.” Clint laided low on the floor, as bullets flew over him. “Oh and Coulson the cow.”

“Get off the babysitter, daddy’s home.” Tony said and he heard very sudden yelling.

Clint raised his head to see the Hydra men turning on Tony, or more accurately watching Tony take them out with ease. Clint crawled down into his house, and realized he may have gotten hit more than once. He had three bullets in his legs, which how had he not noticed. Then it turned out they weren’t bullets, but wood shrapnel.

“Tony, I need help. I’m upstairs.” He heard the front door open, and the whirring and clicking of the suit, and then Tony was walking up the stairs a red briefcase in hand, Tony chicken was at his heels, followed by Tasha chicken.

“Your house,” Tony knelt beside him and looked at his leg. “is totally fucked. Do you have a first aid kit?”

“Fourth room on the left.” Clint watched him walk away, the chicken bearing his name clucking as it walked at the billionaire's heels. It made the archer chuckle.

The genius came back, knelt again, and began to work. His hands steady after years of delicate work with tech.  
“So who’s this chicken?” He asked motioning at the pygmy chicken with his chin. Clint grinned happily.

“That’s you.” Clint huffed a laugh at Tony’s incredulous look. “This one is Tasha.” Clint said as the chicken climbed onto his chest with soft clucks.

Tony huffed a laugh then, as he cut clothes away, and easy removed wood, and treated the archer’s wounds.

“Is my whole house shot up?” Clint asked as they hobbled him downstairs.

“Only the top part.” Tony said easily, as he sat the archer on a couch. “Also I want to know why I’m the pygmy chicken.”

“Oh come on! Look at him, so cute.” Clint patted the small chicken’s head.

“It’s not a rooster Clint, technically it’s a she.”

“Hey, stop! You’ll hurt his feelings.” Clint petted the smaller chicken a few more times.

“You’re drunk.”

“Yep.”

Tony sighed, long drawn out, as if it wasn’t something he did himself quite often. Flopping down next to the archer on the couch Tony shook his head, even while his chicken, as it was obviously his, climbed up and perched on his knee. It had to be the weirdest situation he’d ever been in, well probably not but it was close.

“So you want to come to the tower while this gets fixed?”

“Someones on their way aren’t they?”

“Thor, and I will make him carry you.” Tony grinned at Clint’s indignant squawk. Tony patted the archer’s knee. “I made you a custom obstacle course.”

Clint grumbled and glared at Tony. "Why don't you just twist my arm." The sniper was grumpily petting his chicken. "What about my chickens?" Clint eyed the billionaire suspiciously.

Tony shrugged. "Well… I can send them to a farm." At Clints outraged face he backpedaled. " Or I can...uh."

Clint huffed and pulled out his phone calling a close by, or as close by as he had, neighbor to take care of his chickens while he was away.

In the end Thor did have to carry him, and it was not pleasant, to say the least. But they arrived at the tower with a painfully, sober Clint. When they landed he stood next to the Asgardian prince a glower on his face, and no shirt in sight. Tony had insisted that they couldn’t waste anymore time.

He was an ass.

A few months passed, and Clint was now living full time at the tower. Even though his farm was back up, he was renting out the secondary house on the property to a family. And by renting he meant they were living there and taking care of his animals for a monthly stipend. Apparently Tasha and Tony chickens gave them fuss in the beginning and were now happy with his weekly visits. (Thor was tickled at the thought of a “fowl of the hearth” being named after him. Why they were “of the hearth” took a ballad that Clint fell asleep during.)

It was on a normal Tuesday, and he felt like he was in a Buffy episode because what was up with Tuesdays? Natasha was sitting at the counter drinking coffee like nothing had happened. But Clint was still bitter about their fight, so he walked by her grabbed his Luck Charms, a bowl and the milk then sat at the table in the little breakfast alcove. After a few silent minutes, in which he began to make his breakfast Natasha came over and sat across from him.

“Clint.” She said in that tone, not much different from her other tones but he could tell.

“It’s over Natasha. He won’t know and he doesn’t have to live with me.” He didn’t look up from where he was fishing around the marshmallows, to save them for last. She sighed, that caught his attention. So he looked up, and she looked like hell.

“Yasha, He’s Bucky Barnes.” She twisted her mouth up a bit. “I didn’t know until Steve went crazy about seeing him.”

“Seeing him? Tasha what?” Clint was tired of her ruining his cereal times, this was a habit.

“He’s the Winter Soldier.” She said, and Clint dropped his spoon. Because holy fucking shit on a stick, what? He apparently said that out loud, by the face Natasha was giving him.

"The Winter Soldier." Natasha looked unimpressed that she had to repeat herself. She picked up his spoon and took a bite of his dry cereal.

"What now?" Clint stole his spoon back and finished fixing up his breakfast. Then took a large spoonful and shoveled it into his mouth.

"Steve and Sam are looking for him."

"Wait," Clint pointed his spoon at her." Who's Sam?"

"Part of the Falcon project. Helped us in the D.C. Problem." She produced a spoon from somewhere and began eating his cereal too. He gave up any hope of batting it away.

"Anyway, not what I meant." Clint grabbed her hand as she went for another spoonful. "What about you and him?"

"They wiped him regularly. I doubt he remembers." She shrugged. "There is no point in hoping Steve will catch him."

"Yeah yeah," Clint frowned at her. "Because he's The Winter Soldier. But from what I understand The Captain broke through his programming."

"His name is Steve." Natasha glared at him then.

"Whatever." (He missed his chickens, less drama. Humans, Pfffffffft.)

"He'll come here you know."

"Remember the fact he doesn't know. And do not interfere, Tasha or that's the end."

She nodded solemnly. They ate in tense silence.

Weeks passed and then one day the tower was on lockdown and JARVIS was having virtual kittens.

"Captain Rogers and two companions are on their way up the elevator. This is a precaution." Though Clint got the feeling that if JARVIS had had an asshole it would have been clenching.

The elevator opened and the three stepped out. Steve, Sam (Tasha has shown him pictures, the man had been a cute baby.) and a hunched brunette who looked very, very homeless. (Clint wasn't judging, so what if he moved out of the downwind draft from the central air, stop glaring Tasha.) The man, who Clint assumed was Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier scanned the room and froze when his eyes landed on Natasha, who stood just behind Tony but in front of Clint.

"Natalia." Was all he said before the two ex-KGB were kissing like teenagers. Well guess he did remember, Clint stealthily pulled himself into the air vent and crept away and to his range.

He was shooting off arrow after arrow when someone cleared their throat behind him. Letting loose his last arrow he turned. Ste- The Captain stood there and he looked tired, but happy.

"Hey Cap, what can I do for ya?" Assuming his cover and being an idiot he smiled a St-Cap.

"Steve." The man's voice was deeper than Clint remembered. It made goosebumps pop on his arms and his toes curl.

"What's up?" Clint didn't outright ignore him, okay. (Shut up. Chicken Steve was so much better. He ignored Clint unless he had feed, if only this was true of his human counterpart.)

"Why didn't you say anything, in New York." Steve was staring him down. The bottom dropped out of stomach but Clint wasn't a spy for nothing.

"Uh? I was pretty jacked up, Cap. Nothing's really all that clear until a few days later."

"Steve. I read your mission reports, Clint." (Nosy ass.)

"Barton. Natasha wrote most of it, so I wouldn't be put on leave." Not a lie,  
Not completely. She wrote about his reprogramming in his report.

The hell broke loose, Steve punched the glass of the shooting booth and it shattered. "Why are you lying?" He half yelled, stress seemed to pour from him.

"I'm not!" It sounded weak, even to him.

"I'm not an idiot Clint, and neither are you!" Steve looked like he wanted to box Clint in but he didn't.

"I know." Clint said bitterly.

"Then why?" Steve sounded half dead. (Clint had read all the files before Ca-Steve was found. No mark, but Clint would bet his big, government paycheck that he had woken up with one.)

"Because I'm me." Barton said, half oblivious to the fact he was signing along with his words. (He did it when he was stressed. Some childhood training wheels never fell off.) Steve looked confused and the archer's stomach tossed and turned. "I've killed kids Steve, for money. I've done horrible things way before SHIELD and I thought I was going straight but I traded merc work for Hydra. And now I get why they wanted me, I mean my morals are really low and easily bought. So why would anyone want that? Give me one reason why I'm worth anything but you ignoring me?" Clint was gasping for breath, unacknowledged tears rolling down his cheeks. The archer's usually stone still hands shook, all the while as they signed his words.

Steve stood there, eyes wide as Clint's voice rose and rose to a hysterical, begging cry. With a small sigh the larger man took the other's, trembling hands in his own. Stilling them gently. "Because I haven't been able to get you out of my head. Not since you said those words. Not since Fury and Coulson both asked me if you were okay afterwards. And I thought that I might lose everything I cared about to Hydra all over again. That's why I want you, this. We've all done horrible things. And well there isn't anything we can do to fix that, huh?"

Clint was silently staring at their hands, when Steve ducked down to meet his downcast eyes. "Plus," the super soldier added. "Have you seen your biceps?"

Clint let out a wet laugh. "I mean Thor has some nice ones but the you have these quick fingers and yeah." Clint looked up at the crooked, sly smile that sang of forties charm. "You're worth it, kinda of a dreamboat actually."

Clint kissed him, tears (probably boogers too.) and then hugged him tight. "Much better than Steve chicken." He said without realizing it.

"You named a chicken after me?"

"Hey at least you aren't a pygmy hen like Tony chicken."


	5. Worthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy/Thor 
> 
> This is the previously deleted chapter. I'm putting it back. And basically shut ya mouth if ya don't got anything nice ta say. 
> 
> ~ kiss kiss to my lovely readers.

Many in Asgard were worried when Thor did not gain his soul mark at a young age, and when it didn’t appear after his first century, worried turned into doubt that he even had one. He was the crowned prince, it would not do to have him with no mate. It was a good thing, that the knot showed up on his hip one morning. His family and people rejoiced.

 

\--------

 

Darcy was born with blurred, smudges right across her breast. It was a bad sign to her parents. Who at the first sign of her curves and bust, shoved her into a catholic school and strict schedule of exercise and dieting.

 

So it goes, without saying that she always hated herself. Her parents didn't think much of her, even when she got a full ride to Culver and on the Dean's List.

 

Boys wanted her for a quit fuck. Wham, bam thank ya ma'am. She dealt with it. Slept with who she wanted and tasered those who tried to force their hand. She got a reputation on campus for being a bit crazy. She loved it really. It allowed her to do what she wanted. Including getting a handsy professor fired. (Trusty Thrall the Taser, of course named after the most badass of shamans. Sue her okay, she liked WOW.) But then came science credits and Thor. She noticed the mark very soon, "You dare threaten Thor with such a puny weapon!" Was clear in shimmering text that flickered to something quite like runes once every few seconds.  But from what she understood Thor said Jane was his "soul-piece" not her. Clearly the universe was a big fucking joke. Because clearly thin, beautiful, genius Jane was for cut-hobo Thor. She didn't cut it, all she knew was...how to make good coffee.

 

So she didn't say anything. Not to Jane who was confused but happy because she didn't have Thor's first words on her. Darcy was a little bitter. Then he left, and they went a sciencing.

 

Then New York and then London. They were all happy he was back and then Jane was not happy. Because Thor asked something.

 

"Where are my first words, my love?" He smiled and Jane frowned because she didn't have them. Darcy hadn't told anyone. And the only one seeing her boobs was her. Then the fight and now Darcy didn't know what to do.

 

Enter Tony Stark with funding and lab space.

 

\------

 

Darcy liked New York, even if she lived in Brownsville and Jane lived in Avengers ( enter jazz hands ) Tower in Manhattan. Thrall had been handy in everyday life. Which freaked her out, holy shit. Jane had gotten angry at everyone for a while but was now over it. She didn't know where Darcy lived and Darcy was happy to keep it that way. No one needed to know where she was currently living. Thor avoided them both air tense and tingling, as if she and Jane had been in on the whole soulmate fake out together. Well technically.

 

\-------

 

Thor didn't understand how his mate hadn't revealed themselves. It was obvious he had met them and from what he understood of midgardian marks, his words would be upon their skin. The Lady Jane, he didn’t quite trust her anymore, an act of betrayal such as hers was hard to forgive. This applied as well to Lady Darcy who he supposed wouldn’t have known in truth, but he found it had that the friends hadn’t shared the knowledge of the soulmarks with each other.

 

The uproar of Jane's anger after her betrayal was revealed left no one, not even Lady Darcy untouched. But his trust was broken.

 

So he sat on the roof, brooding over the fact that his soulmate hadn't revealed themselves. When the door opened suddenly Thor glanced up to find Lady Darcy standing there. She looked surprised to see him and he frowned. Her face was tear streaked and there was a blooming handprint on her face. Jane, Thor knew had become easier to anger but this was a new turn. Darcy rubbed at her cheek and turn to the door again.

 

"Sorry, didn't know you were here." She mumbled and disappeared through the silver door. Thor glared at the door and for ten minutes he had quiet again. Then the door opened again revealing Jane, who froze. She bit her lip but then sighed harshly.

 

"Have you seen Darcy?"

 

Thor narrowed his eyes. "She was here briefly."

 

"God, security just dragged her mom away." Jane rubbed her face. "If she comes back up can you let me know."

 

Thor opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off.

 

"She needs people who care right now." Then just as quickly as she had come she was gone. He felt as if he had just been punched, air didn't come to his lungs.

 

Did they think he did not care? Sighing he rubbed his face and spoke clearly.

 

"Lady Darcy, I know you are there." She had looped through the second door and had hid. There was some shuffling before her eyes peeked from around a corner.

 

"Sorry." She hiccuped.

 

Thor raised his eyebrows and sighed again. "No need to apologize." He met her eyes and smiled slightly. "Why are you crying?"

 

Darcy came out from behind the wall, shirt twisting in her hands. "Uh..."

 

"Why was, if I may ask, your mother taken away by security?" She sniffed and Thor gestured to the chair opposite himself.

 

She sat, eyes staring at her hands. "My mom thought I was sleeping with Tony." She took a large shuddering breath. "And she's like super religious and I mean I should have known better. Ya know? And -"

 

"Why would she think this?"

 

Darcy sniffed again and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I know you know about soul marks. But I mean, over the centuries certain places they can appear have been thought to show what kind of person you'll be. And-" she wiped her face again.

 

"What do you mean?" Thor leaned forward on his knees.

 

"Like you get one on your head, you're smart. Hands you'll work hard. Feet you'll travel. Blah blah."

 

Thor nodded when she finally looked up she looked at him with swollen eyes. She chewed her lip and went back to looking at her feet.

 

"These are all from ya know the bible, and some Christians take this seriously. And well, my soul mark goes right across my boobs. And in the bible that's like where whores have theirs and-" she didn't finish, not that she needed to. He figured out  the rest on his own, from the implications of her mark to the slap on her face.

 

"Your family is ignorant." He said this somberly, and laid his hand over her worried ones. "You are not a horrible person and I believe they are missing much in not knowing you."

 

She smiled and nodded. She rubbed her face then, with her hands. “I’m sorry, for what happened with Jane.” Jane, lovely Jane whose words were grey. Jane whose soulmate was either dead, or not born yet.

 

“I will say only this, such an act of betrayal is not taken as lightly on Asgard.” Thor pulled back, and a glare set on his face again.

 

“It’s not taken lightly here either.” Darcy said, a hard edge snapping onto her voice. Anger bloomed in her chest, built up over the months. “The only reason Jane and I are here is because Tony wanted her formulas. So if you think for one second, Mr.High-and-mighty - Mr. Hey-you-get-off-of-my-cloud, that everyone is treating Jane, and by connection me like everything’s fine, then your head is up your ass.” Darcy took a large breath. “She should have gone to jail or at least have been fined. Everything should have gone through the legal system, and everyone knows that. So you know what, I’m tired of this. I’m tired of the Avengers being fucking assholes to me because my boss/adopted sister didn’t fucking think because her soulmate is dead well then, fuck them.” Darcy felt her anger crest and then break. Wow, that had come out of no where. But she stood stiffly and walked out, anger, frustration and pain pouring off of her in waves.

 

Thor sat silently aghast as she left. He didn’t think anyone but Loki had ever spoken to him in such a way. Had his shield brothers and sister been treating Lady Darcy and Jane with such callousness. He had not noticed it, but truthfully he had never seen the two women outside of eachother’s company or even in another’s. He realised then that they were staying together and away from everyone else. Darcy’s anger was still tingling across his skin, and he leaned back to look up at the sky.

 

Darcy stormed down to the labs, grabbed her bag, kissed Jane on the cheek and said she was going home. Jane smiled, and hugged her tightly. Darcy was walking down the hallway briskly and ran into Mr.Fucking-Apple-Pie-Disappointment-I-Actually-Don’t-Know-You-But-I’ll-Hate-You-Anyways-For-Something-I-Wasn’t-Even-Involved-In-Glare, Darcy apologized stiffly and moved to the side but he blocked her and she glared up at him.

 

“Can I help you Rogers?” She said, letting the tone she’d been preparing for any Avenger who crossed her path (when she was forced to talk with them), yes that included Black Widow, Darcy was that done. Five months here in the tower with this and Darcy was ready to shank a bitch.

 

“About your mother.” He said, he sounded worried. Uhg.

 

“Nothing. Since this is the first time you’ve done more than glare at me Rogers I’m going to make this clear, we aren’t friends. You don’t worry about me. You keep your judgemental, asshole things to yourself. You don’t to get to go, well I’m a superhero buh buh buh.” She jabbed him in the chest, she was on a roll today. “So my mother doesn’t concern you, it concerns me, Jane and Erik. Have a great day.”

 

“Now just wait a minute.” He grabbed her arm as she pulled away. “You helped your friend lie to Thor about -”

 

“And that’s your business how? Let’s just say, as I said to Thor earlier. Fuck you, fuck the Avengers. We didn’t want to come here, but SHIELD aka HYDRA killed Jane’s funding and Tony offered in his I want your science way. So leave us alone, I don’t need any white knight bullshit. I grew up with my family, I know how to deal with it. And if I didn’t I’d ask for help.” She snatched her arm away from his slack hand. “Goodbye.”

 

Darcy slammed her hand on the elevator button and waited, the anger which had ebbed after her walk down like a billion stairs was back full force. She may have to get drunk tonight. Holy shit, that was a great plan. Jane would come, especially since everything had righted itself with the whole, OMG DARCY YOU’RE THOR’S SOULMATE WHAT DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING thing that had happened just before they (meaning Jane) moved into the tower, after the Thor blow up. It’d taken a lot of explaining and vodka to make Jane understand. But in the end, it had made them stronger, and Jane swore to never tell a soul.

 

As the elevator doors slid shut, the top of the elevator opened and two spysassins fell in beside her. She sighed loudly and violently.

 

“I swear to everything I hold dear, I am going to bomb this building if I have to have another talk with people who hate me.” Darcy said not looking at either of them. “This is not a joke.” She was volatile and knew how to make explosives with Jane’s equipment.

 

Silence held until they reached the ground floor and Darcy walked out into the lobby and they followed her. For three and a half blocks, this went on and Darcy was slowly getting angrier and angrier. Holy fucking shit balls ass tits and cock. Finding the closest liquor store she went in, bought four bottles of vodka and texted Jane to meet up in Jane’s apartment. Her spyassin shadows were still there and Darcy walked angrily, body jerking more as it grew to a level she didn’t even know she could achieve. When the approached the door to the tower lobby, she spotted her father waiting there a fire in his eyes. Today was for the fucking records.

 

“You ungrateful whor-” He fell to the ground just as he raised a hand and took a step forward. She detached her taser’s wires and kept walking. Darcy was so done, and she needed to be drunk. She did not see the spysassins who stood frozen by her father’s prone, twitching body, both looking vaguely surprised in slight fighting stances.

 

\---------

 

Six shots in had Jane and Darcy’s Jenga game going in the shitter. Darcy had cried twice, Jane thrice and one of those times (for each) was over the salsa spilled in the kitchen. Darcy had regaled Jane with her epic rants of the day. Jane said she’d been really mean but didn’t say she’d been wrong.

 

“They act like, now that my mother made this big scene that they have to protect my honor which they already seem to think I don’t have.” This was said or more accurately slurred as Darcy pulled a piece from the tower and put it shakily on top.

 

“I don’t know Darce, I mean your mother did slap you three times before security got her off. It was pretty crazy.” Jane didn’t even look at the tower, too busy trying not to slide off the couch and onto the floor.

 

“I think I bought too much vodka.” Darcy suddenly said and she went to ferret the other three bottles into Jane’s freezer. She came back and found Natasha laying Jane down, where she had passed out.

 

“I do not hate you.” The redhead said. “But I do not understand you.”

 

Darcy’s brain was trying to fire, but she just sat back down and began to play Jenga again.

 

“Why did Jane allow Thor to think they were soulmates?”

 

“Honestly, we were all a bit freaked out over the life or death thing. Also she told him three times the first time he was here. But nope, he didn’t understand. Thor I think gets it now, but Jane didn’t discourage him which is her fault. But whatever.” Alcohol was a bitch, Darcy thought as she found her mouth running away. “What’s done is done. Jane tried to apologize, and make good. But got shot down. She offered everything she could think of, and nope. So we avoid him, he avoids us. You guys shove your judgey noses in. I get angry and tell ya’ll to eat dicks.” She placed another block on top. “It’s a vicious circle.”

 

“Do you have a soulmate?” Natasha was watching her the way some people stare at books or good movies or porn.

 

“Well according to my parents, ex-co-workers, peers and just about everyone else, no one wants someone with their mark across their breast. So no, I don’t think I have one.” Natasha understood what the younger girl was saying. She’d read her file about a young girl in a small midwest town forced to diet, and exercise. Who was bullied. Who had tried to commit suicide three times. But the spy still didn’t understand her anymore than she had before.

 

Darcy passed out soon there after.

 

\---------

 

“I cannot believe you told Spangles to fuck off.” That was the unmistakable voice of Tony Stark, lord of the big penis tower.

 

“And I cannot believe you missed the part that is was about all of you.” Darcy grouched, she had a hangover, this might be worse than yesterday.

 

“Hey, I gave you money and a job and a cool lab.”

 

“No that was Jane. I just came attached.” Darcy was trying really hard to transcribe some data. Tony was making that hard.

 

“Technically I’m still paying for you to work here, as her assistant Shortstack.” He sat on her desk. “Plus I heard you tased someone outside my tower yesterday too.”

 

“I don’t think my father can be classified as human.” Darcy said squinting at Jane’s handwriting. Was that an 8 or a B? Either could make sense. She’d have to talk to Jane.  

 

“So that’s who that was.”

 

“Yep” Darcy popped the p on her word and didn’t even look at Tony as she walked by and popped her head under one of Jane’s machines. “Janie is this an 8 or a B?”

 

“It’s a B.” Jane said after glancing up at the paper.

 

“Gotcha.” Darcy moved back, disappointed to see Tony still there. “I have a question for you,” she slapped his hands away from the notes on her desk. “Why all the sudden interest? Hmm? I’ve lived here almost half a year, suddenly there’s drama and everyone thinks they can just waltz in?”

 

Tony shrugged. “We’ve all got hero complexes. Even if we’re being assholes about it.”

 

“Oh joy. Tell your superpals to stay away from Jane and I. They haven’t been friendly and I’m not exactly willing to start and Jane has the social skills of a shoe.” Darcy flipped to the next page of notes, still typing away even as Tony stood and walked out of the lab.

 

\-------

 

Four days of quiet and then Jane and Erik went a sciencing to Norway but left Darcy to deal with the machines and take the readings. She didn’t mind, Norway was not her thing. Plus alone time would be nice and she could get some TV binge time in. Aw yis Criminal Minds, your time had come. Plus she had to level her Troll rogue. But it also meant she got to stay in Jane's apartment and not travel to her own, which she found out last week thanks to SWAT, was next to a meth lab or used to be now.

 

Also it didn't smell like cat pee. Which was nice.

 

Now the downside of this plan was, ya know the irritating superheroes flouncing about. This wasn't something she had thought to plan for. Meaning avoiding said heroes as if they carried an airborne version of genital herpes. Not that that even made sense.

 

So Darcy was drunk sciencing. Nice screwdrivers in her strawed cup. All she had to do today was press the green button and make sure the purple thingy glowed for around an hour. JARVIS was supervising. He had sounded resigned at the knowledge she was pleasantly buzzed at 10am. Darcy understood it as something he'd had to do when Tony was still...well when Tony did the same thing. JARVIS was also on her shit list, more because he had made her drink three glasses of water before leaving the bathroom, this had taken place around seven. He also had U bring her a plate with a sandwich and chips on it. It was sweet but she was a grumpy day drunk.

 

It also didn't help that she could hear the resident vent crawler, moving above her head. She thought she had made herself pretty clear, with the whole. Eat dicks, choke on them and die routine she'd given Rogers and Stark, Lord of the worlds shiniest phallic symbol. She knew she was being a bitch. But really there was only so much "turn the other cheek" shit she could do.

 

"Why, oh vent stalker, are you bothering me?" Darcy said aloud as she began to turn off switches and unplug cords. The readings were finished.

 

"JARVIS said-"

 

"J baby, why do you hurt me so?" There was only silence.

 

"JARVIS said you were doing drunk science." Clint swung down from the vent nearest her, she didn't turn to look.

 

"Uh huh, did you pull the shortest straw Barton?"

 

"Uh no, I volunteered." She turned to watch him scratch the back of his neck. "And technically I've only been here a month, and haven't been asshole-ish. Just busy."

 

"Busy."

 

"I got a dog, there was some things involved." Clint shrugged.

 

"So are you in the opinion of the peanut gallery?" Darcy was staring at him with the intensity of a laser. Clint could feel himself start to sweat like a cornered nun.

 

"No. I was there in New Mexico. I heard your boss tell Thor he was wrong." He shrugged. "They're both at fault really."

 

Darcy narrowed her eyes. "Don't go feeding me bull, Barton. "

 

"Tequila isn't a good look for you."

 

The only time she had tequila was in New Mexico and it wasn't a good lo-

 

"You stole my IPOD!" She pointed at him.

 

"Yuh. And gave it back with choice music on it." Clint crossed his arms.

 

"No, you messed with my Death Knight playlist. Fiend!"

 

"Please a DK would not listen to Back in Black. I mean a warrior totally would, but a DK no. Death metal and sad Indie music."

 

Darcy stood gaping. "You play WOW?"

 

"Since vanilla."

 

"Gimme your battle tag now." She grinned manically. "Grab a bottle of vodka, we're gonna go wreak the alliance."

 

"Hey, how do you know I'm not alliance."

 

"Barton, come now. Do I look like a fool."

 

"True. Necro-Moo to the rescue." The archers grin was wide.

 

\-----------

 

Clint became a good friend after that. He could often be found in the lab, or actually in the vents above the lab.

 

Otherwise it seemed like they left her and Jane alone. It was easy to keep up their routine of avoidance though Clint was now not included in that. His awesome arms were the best for lifting things the two smaller women couldn't lift.

 

For three more months everything went the same. Tony seemed more bitchy, Rogers glared at her if they were in the same room. She wanted to throw a hot pop tart on his face, he soon left to find Bucky (OMG!) Barnes.

 

It all changed when the fire nation atta- well when Jane and she decided to go swimming, she in a t-shirt but Jane rocked her swimsuit. They swam for a bit and decided to get snacks. Jane's black mark stood out and - Darcy froze and gasped a bit causing Jane to turn. All Darcy could do was point at Jane's worried face.

 

"Your- your mark!" Darcy shouted. “Marks!” Two! Two marks!

 

Jane whipped her head down and she began to sob. Legs buckling, ending with Jane crumpling on the floor. Darcy scuttled over to her and hugged her tight. Clint suddenly popped out from behind Darcy worry playing on his face.

 

"What's going on? She hurt?" Then he saw the smiles and tears. "Her mark?"

 

Darcy grinned over at Clint who froze staring at her- the white shirt she wore wasn't really hiding her mark. He wasn't called Hawkeye for nothing. They held eye contact for a while and Darcy could feel herself start to pale. Would he tell everyone? Darcy saw his face shutter and she knew whatever had been going on was going to get worse.

 

However bad living in the tower had been the last year it was going to get worse. Clint didn't like liars, and he didn't like to lie. Which is ironic for a spysassin.

 

"Sorry Darce." And he was gone.

 

No. No no no no no no. Darcy scrambled up, forgetting Jane (like an asshole). But the small woman was recovering and grabbed Darcy's arm.

 

"Darcy calm down please, you're hyperventilating." Jane was happy but Darcy was pale and shaking. Clint had just disappeared through a vent. Jane knew what was happening the see through of Darcy's shirt was a give away. Bile rose in her throat at the aspect of the aftermath of Clint's reveal. Nothing would be the same.

 

\----------

 

Darcy had her bags packed by the end of the day. Everything lay beside her door and she had spent a good two hours trying to write the resignation for Jane. She had just started to rewrite the lengthy apology part when someone pounded on her door. Darcy froze at her computer hands hovering over the keyboard.

 

"Lewis open the door!" It was Steve fucking Rogers. Darcy had the urge to crawl under her couch and never come out.

 

"Don't make me kick in the door." He sounded frustrated and tired. Dude had been gone chasing his BFFL apparently, and was now back for this shit show. Fabulous. How had he even found her apartment?

 

"Go away!" Darcy yelled, it didn't sound that strong. Apparently it didn't fool the Captain either.

 

There was a loud sigh and a thunk which was totally the man's head hitting the door. "Please, I just want to talk."

 

Darcy cracked the door after another silent ten minutes. He looked like hell, and the man standing behind him looked even more rough. She probably didn't look great either.

 

"Can we come in?"

 

Darcy moved aside, trying not to let her hackles rise and make her on the offense. The two men stood silently in the living room before she spoke.

 

"Would you like some water?" She scratched her head. "Food?"

 

"Please."

 

Darcy pulled out all her left overs, which was a lot and her pitcher of orange juice and two cups, plates and sets of silverware. Steve started eating right away. But Bucky(?) stood staring at her and then Steve for a second.

 

"Eat as much as you like." Darcy met his eyes while she said this and went back to her computer which was open where Steve could see.

 

"Resignation?"

 

She sighed. "Might as well get out of the blasting zone and save Jane from being taken out by a wrathful Demi-God." She sat across from the two, glad to see Bucky(?)  piling his plate crazy high with Thai take out.

 

"He's off planet for the next three weeks." Steve said after swallowing a mouthful of food.

 

"Oh, I have more time then?" Darcy sighed.

 

"Why not just tell him?"

 

Darcy sighed at Steve's question. "He won't get it. I mean he'll just see a bigger betrayal." She rubbed her eyes. “I’m surprised you haven’t just decided to defenestrate me because I’m lying about this, and let the Jane thing happen.” She picked at some food with her fingers. “Or that I’m even in the tower anymore.”

 

“I just-” Steve sighed again. “I just don’t understand it. He’s your soulmate.” The super soldier pushed his plate away, and took on his serious face. “You know Thor would be happy it was you, even if you did lie. Is it because you don’t want him?”

 

“What? No!” Darcy said that a little too loudly, and Bucky(?) tensed. “Sorry - uh what do you want me to call you?”

 

Bucky(?) looked up at her, brows knitted together. “James.”

 

“Sorry James, didn’t mean to yell.” Then she turned back to Steve. “I’ve been told my whole life I’m not worth anything, Rogers.” Darcy rubbed her face, and took a deep breath.

 

“I have heard you are an asset to the team.” James said in a business like tone, he scooped up more rice and continued to eat.

 

“What?” Darcy’s head snapped to look at the other super soldier. James perked a brow at her and she felt like he was about to find her wanting.

 

“I have heard that you are an asset to the team.” He repeated. “You are the scientist's handler. You keep them fed, and in top condition for missions.”

 

“A trained monkey could do that.” She said dismissively. But James put his fork down and pushed his food away. The way he straightened made him seem much bigger than before.

 

“I have been informed that you not only feed these people, you make them sleep, you catalogue and sort their findings. You tend minor wounds, care for the robotic companions of Tony Stark. This places you in a place of power above them as their handler. caring for three geniuses is not something,” his brow knitted again. “A trained monkey could do.”

 

Darcy could feel the blood pooling in her face, making her look like a squashed tomato. She’d never been told anything like that. Since the scientists three did sorta take her for granted. Jane was her sister and all but, Science! mode Jane wasn’t all there. The other two were just assholes, more Stark than Banner. But it was weird having what she did laid out for her.

 

“He’s right, it-” The door to her apartment burst open, showing a frazzled panicked Jane.

 

“You can’t leave me! They’ll hate me more and I’ll be alo-” The small woman noticed the two men, and glanced between them.

 

“I don’t think I’m leaving you.” Darcy said with a small smile, “Apparently I’m an asset to the team.”

 

“You! Did this! Thank you!” She hugged Steve suddenly, and the man was frozen in shock.

 

“Actually, ma’am he did it.” He pointed at James who stared at the other man, and the shorter brunette.

 

“Oh! Thank you! You’re really the best of the best!”

 

“I doubt many would hold that opinion Dr.Foster.” James said, eyebrows climbing his forehead.

“Oh my glob!” Darcy yelled. “You three! Jane! Use your big beautiful brain.” But Jane had already fainted, and James had easily caught her.

 

How had these people found her shitty apartment? But soon they left (Steve carrying Jane.) no comment about Brownsville. Though the look James gave her as he got close to the door was less than promising.

 

\--------

 

Darcy was sitting in the lab, hunched down low since Thor had come back the day before. She knew that Clint had told him. Or at least intended to so she was trying her hardest to ignore the knot in her stomach and go about her day. It was getting increasingly hard, since apparently everyone else knew too. So the anger was ten fold, surprisingly from Tony. Most others seemed to resume the silent treatment that had started the whole living in the tower thing. Clint was the worst, he avoided her now. Plus side Steve and James were downright friendly.

 

Curling a little further over her desk, Darcy forced down nausea and took breath through her nose. The words were flowing through her mind and escaping just as quick. She was pretty close to having a panic attack, and Jane was trying really hard to get her to leave. She wasn't moving. She was going to stay here and work. Damn it. The lab door slid open, and standing there was Thor.

 

The brunette stared at her screen like it was her only lifeline. Which yeah, it totally was. Jane stood awkwardly behind her thingy that went ping, her eyes narrowed. It was a few minutes until Thor spoke, which Darcy used to try and sink through the floor.

 

“I wish to speak with you.” He said, and Darcy had never noticed how deep his voice was until then. Darcy pulled her hands away from her computer and met Jane’s eyes over the machinery. The tiny scientist nodded slightly, so Darcy turned to see Thor staring at Jane with a hard expression.

 

“Okay.” Darcy stood up and shook herself briefly. Fuck this, she took a big breath as strode past Thor. If this was going to go down the shitter she wasn’t gonna be a baby about it. Fuck it. If Thor wanted to duke it out, she’d do this. She strode past him without making eye contact, and spoke over her shoulder as she heard him follow. “Where are we going to do this?”

 

“The roof.” The Thunderer answered.

 

The ride in the elevator was swift and silent. Darcy was preparing for everything from him throwing her off the building, to being carted to Asgard to face trial or him saying he needed someone who was a great warrior, or thinner, or prettier.  But she started to pull up her walls, no need to let him know that this was scaring her so bad. When they took the last flight of stairs, since the elevator didn't go to the roof Darcy was sort of numb.

 

It was raining. Not hard. Just really sprinkling, but knowing who was behind her she was not excited about the prospects of not getting drenched. She turned towards him, and crossed her arms over her chest, well under it. She stared just past the blond’s ear.

 

“So…” Darcy said, body language relaxed.

 

“Why did you lie to me?” Thor’s voice was low and definitely angry. He took a step towards her and she stepped back.

 

“I don’t know.” She kept staring past him. Unable to pull up any reason beyond. ‘I’m a peice of shit person. Sorry. lol.’

 

“You have no reason?” Thor sounded even angrier, and Darcy blinked. Holy shit this was harder than she thought.

 

“No.” Her normal verbose self, the word vomit that usually poured, her non-stop mouth stopped. She’d hurt him for no reason.

 

“No?” Thor was not happy, and the thunder that rumbled above them was proof. “You allowed me to pledge my love to another, allowed me to believe I had lost my soul piece, stood in front of me, and lied.” He let out a large huff of air. “You have no reason? You just wished to harm me?”

 

“Listen, I didn’t mean to. I just thought you were better off.” Darcy shrugged.

 

“I do not understand.” Thor stood, back stiff. The thunder rolled again.

 

“It’s not anything important, Thor.” Darcy said with a big sigh. She just wanted this over.

 

“It is important, Darcy.” His eyes were intense and Darcy wanted the verbal vomit everywhere. All about her self esteem, and family. Darcy bit her lips, pressing them together. She was trying to play it cool, not let emotion poke it’s ugly head out. “We are two halves? Why is that unimportant?”

 

“It’s not. You just are better off.”

 

“I want to understand, why did you lie to me? Why not come forward? I would have been elated.” Thor took another halting step forward.

 

“It’s not for me.” Darcy said with a small smile.

 

“Why? I want to know why you would have lied? I want to know!” He looked guilty suddenly for raising his voice. “I do not understand.”

 

“How could you?” Darcy hissed, emotions she’d been trying to beat back bubbling up. “You’re a prince and I’m just me.”

 

“We were made for each other.” Thor said, stepping up to her, his boots inches away from her sneakered feet.

 

“But we weren’t!” Darcy said. “It was a mistake or something. My family hates me, I never had a place Thor. Never will. And I can’t do that to you, or to Jane. Or to anyone.”

 

Thor had frozen. She walked back down the stairs and left Thor. The sky opened up, and thunder boomed.

 

\------------

 

Her apartment was dingy and small. The door didn’t lock properly so she had it bungy corded shut. It didn’t instill a lot of confidence in her. So she slept with a bat. So as she sat on her couch trying really hard not to cry, she almost took off Clint’s head with a bat when he touched her arm.

 

“How did you get in here?” She snapped. Holding the bat at him, making him put his hands up in the air.

 

“The window.”

 

“What do you want?” She snapped tossing her bat down, and storming to her kitchen. (See here microwave balanced on a mini fridge.)

 

"‘You need to talk with Thor.” Clint says rubbing his face.

 

“Yeah, no. Tried that.” Darcy took a swig of milk from the carton, and turned to the archer. “Thanks for that by the way, asshole.”

 

“Sorry. I just don’t like lying to people.”

 

“Lying is an active thing.”

 

“No not telling him would be the same, even worse.” Clint flopped down on the couch. “He wanted to find his soulmate. To love them. And show them his home.”

 

“I am not worth any of that.” Darcy said putting the milk back.

 

“God damn it!” Clint yelled, kicking the coffee table where it wobbled and then fell apart.

 

“Wow, rude.”

 

“I don’t care! You’re fucking worth that! You’re worth everything!” Clint tugged on his own hair, and growled.

 

“What he’s trying to say, is that you’re wrong.” Natasha was leaning against her front door, looking totally cool. “You’re an amazing person Darcy Lyn Lewis. You didn’t evacuate when the destroyer was attacking Puente Antiguo. You helped people run, you yelled at trained Agents who cringed, Coulson told me. You helped defend London, and the World. You are much more worthy than many other people. You’ve never hurt people, or done anything evil.” Natasha had reached Darcy who stood still. “I also think your parents need to be beaten until they scream about how wonderful you are.” The Black Widow sighed. “We treated you unfairly, you and Dr.Foster. People make mistakes. Do not break your own heart, because people don’t love you. You only need a handful of people to care for and who care for you.”

 

Darcy took a big breath. “This is crazy. How do I do this?”

 

“Well first, this apartment is no. Brownsville. No.” Clint pointed at her then, ignoring the glossiness of his eyes and hers. “No.”

 

\----------

 

Watching the Black Widow putting her underwear away in said woman’s spare room was super surreal. Darcy was totally dazed and baffled. Thor was apparently off world, and all Darcy could think about is what would happen when he got back.

 

She didn’t have long to wait really, only a few days. With a rumble of thunder and a flash of the infamous (she thought) rainbow bridge, he was back. The smell of ozone was everywhere in the common areas. Natasha (as Darcy was now allowed to call her) said he seemed terse and short tempered, so Darcy avoided him. Scared that she may set him off, not that she thought he’d hurt her, she just didn’t handle confrontation well. (Taser or not.)

 

So she was herding Jane out for food, and pulling Dummy’s fire extinguisher from U's little claw hand when she smelt storm, and everything went tingly. Turning horror movie slow Darcy came face to chest with Thor, who looked down at her with a stern look.

 

“If you’ll excuse your friend Lady Jane, I must speak with her.” Thor said not taking his eyes off Darcy, even helping her pull the extinguisher out of the overly excited robot’s claw. Jane abandoned Darcy. (She’d been trying to get Darcy to talk to him, with Clint and Natasha’s help. And even the super-solider pair. And the Scienti- all the avengers, really.)

 

“Would you accompany me to the roof, Lady Darcy?” Thor swept his arm to the elevator, and Darcy stepped in front of him. She was having the worst déjà vu, but she went with him.

 

"Why the roof?" She asked as they boarded the elevator.

 

"The sky is my domain, it calms me." The elevator opened to a romantic dinner with Dummy playing waiter. It was beautiful.

 

"Oh." Darcy said eyes wide.

 

"I hope it doesn't bother you, I asked Heimdal about your life." Thor put his hand lightly on her lower back. "You are quite a woman to have gone through such trials." He pulled out a chair and she sat in it, watching as he moved around to sit across from her. “I cannot say I understand why you did not tell me, but I feel I may have glanced at you in a way that I may try.”

 

She finally met his eyes and man he looked wrecked. Dummy whirred excitedly towards her with the wine bucket. She easily calmed the bot and took the bottle out before he dropped the whole bucket. Her eyes never left Thor though, and she wanted to hug him and give him hot cocoa.

 

"I'm sorry Thor. I know there's jack shit I can say to make this better, but I just." She sighed. "I'm not worthy of someone as awesome as you. Or of Jane."

 

Thor shook his head and lightly took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "May I try something my soul piece?" The affection he spoke with took Darcy's breath away. "After we have eaten."

 

They got halfway through their early dinner before the Avengers were called away. Which okay that sucked but it let Darcy go hide for a bit. Thor wanted her, if the conversation that had followed made any kind of sense. He told her stories of his adventures and misadventures. She learned about his childhood with Loki and how much he loved his stupidly, evil brother. She basically talked about Jane and college. Childhood was way painful for her.

 

\----------

 

A few weeks later, after dates and watching Thor hand Steve's ass to him Darcy was pretty much super happy. Not everything was working well, Tony was still a snappy little bitch but apparently both Steve and Bucky had talked to him. It didn't improve his attitude much so Darcy went down to talk to him.

 

"Yo! Old man!" She said slamming a tray of food on his workstation. The self proclaimed G.B.P.P. looked up at her with a perked brow and a scowl.

 

“I am not old, in fact I am perfectly-”

 

“Yeah got it, don’t mention the age or giant penis tower. But who put a beetle up your ass?” Darcy sat on a stool and put her chin in her hands.

 

“I well, you just…” Tony then got that, I’m having emotions constipation face.

 

“Oh god. You’re having emotion!” Darcy smiled at him and the genius turned away. "What is up, boss man?"

 

"You told me to fuck off, so I'm fucking off." Tony said a frown on his face.

 

"Okay, so that was a thing. But I said that to all of you superhero types. So stop fucking off, please. It's bumming me out." She pushed the tray towards the still sulking engineer. "Come on man of iron. Don't make me hug you."

 

When Tony raised his arms in the universal signal of give me a hug Darcy walked around the table and hugged him. The hug was tight and Darcy clung.

 

"I'm glad it looks like it's working out, Darce." Tony mumbled into her shoulder.

 

"Me too. I think." Darcy ran her fingers through his hair.

 

"Why'd Pepper leave if we're soulmates?." Tony's voice was strained and Darcy hugged him tighter.

 

"It's going to be okay Tony, trust me." Darcy kissed the crown of his head. "You've always got us." She hadn't know the CEO had ended their relationship. She was going to tell Natasha, that the CEO had broken it off with the Engineer. Personally she hadn’t really liked the way Pepper had seemed to treat him. Always talking down to him as if he were a child. “What do your words say?”

 

Tony slowly looked up at her eyes wide, and then he blinked. “Mr.Stark, nice to meet you.”

 

“Oh.”

 

\-------

 

Darcy left, after hugging Tony. She strode up to Natasha's room and pounded on their door.

 

"Pepper broke up with Tony." Was all she said when the redhead plus archer opened the door.

 

"What? When?" Clint shouted and even Natasha looked surprised.

 

Long story short Darcy found herself in an elevator with a pair of pissed off spysassins. They were all dressed awesome, she'd been dressed by Natasha. When they were welcomed to the sight of the hallway of the CEO's office the air grew tense and the receptionist looked like he had just shit his pants.

 

"Uh...Ms.Potts doesn't want to be disturbed." He stuttered. The looks leveled at him made him freeze. "Just let me call her."

 

"No need." Natasha said striding past him and all but kicking the door open to find Ms.Potts in a precarious position with a former SHIELD director.

 

"I am disgusted in both of you." Natasha said as she stalked closer. Darcy took a bit more to catch on still trying to mentally bleach her mind.

 

"So lemme guess, you aren't Tony's soulmate?" Darcy stepped around Clint and towards Pepper.

 

"No but I needed him close."

 

"She was doing her job and completing her mission." Came from Fury's mouth.

 

Darcy punched Fury hard enough the man's head snapped back and rounded on Pepper whose eyes were round with surprise. Darcy stared at her.

 

"I am telling Tony, and I hope he rips your world down."

 

"We will assist him." Natasha stared at the other redhead with dead eyes, mirrored by Clint.

 

“JARVIS,” Darcy said. “call the team. Get them here.”

 

The whole team, minus Tony burst into Pepper's office battle ready. Thor was in front of Darcy within a blink. The stares leveled at Nick Fury would have melted a comet. Pepper looked like she may throw up, and Darcy hoped she didn’t.

 

"Let's all talk this out." Steve ever the voice of reason spoke and pointedly looked at Darcy and Natasha. "What is going on?"

 

"Agent Potts has been in deep cover only known to me and the WSC since she was hired at Stark Industries. She -"

 

"Told Tony that she was his soulmate! Led him on, let him believe!" Darcy snapped, blue eyes sparking with anger. "He has the worst trust issues! What will this do?"

 

"I do care for him a lot," Pepper started.

 

"He's going to break. That is what will happen." Clint stated arms crossed.

 

Silence reigned.

 

\------

 

Tony hid in his lab for three weeks. Only JARVIS’ assurance he was eating and, in a manner of speaking, sleeping kept Darcy from barging in there. But three weeks was pushing it.

 

Darcy all but kicked the lab door in carrying new clothes, and pulling a tray of hot food behind her. Tony looked like shit, not that she was very surprised. She walked over and without stopping wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed. He didn’t move, but again she wasn’t surprised.

 

“Tony, please. I love you, and I can’t see you hiding away anymore. Please you can be hurt, since ya know shit. But let me help you please?” She pushed her nose into the space between his shoulderblades. He heaved a huge sigh, and she felt him turn on his stool.

 

When they were finally face to face, Darcy hugged him again. The billionaire's eyes were red and surrounded by the dark bruises of insomnia. His beard was scraggly and his lips chewed through.

 

"Whatever is going through your head about this, is probably wrong. You are amazing and hella hot. And just I wish I had people half as cool and amazing as you in my life back in the day." Darcy kissed his cheek. "I'll help you, and so will everyone else. I thought Tasha was gonna Hulk. And I mean we still haven't really told Bruce."

 

Tony stared at her. "How do I know you're not a spy too?"

 

"Because fuck SHIELD. I can't lie, my

face gets all red and blotchy. And I know what it feels like to be made to feel like shit and worthless. And we're not. Me and you. We're the fucking best power duo. And this is gonna make you feel super old but I wish you were my dad."

 

Tony apparently, in the middle of her rambling had started to cry. And Darcy touched their foreheads and smiled.

 

"I'm not that old." He croaked.

 

"Maybe. But you're awesome enough to have made this. But please don't shut us out."

 

\--------

 

Watching Tony strip Pepper of all her things made Natasha smile. Darcy had heart palpitations at the sight.

 

\-------

 

Darcy needed coffee, like now. So she was standing in some tiny coffee shop trying to not seem in a hurry. When screams started to sound outside Darcy unlike everyone else who ran to his, ran outside. Obviously she had forgone her survival instincts in New Mexico.

 

Whatever was attacking wasn't human. They swooped and screeched. Looking like a mix between kangaroos and giant bats. What the fuck really.

 

She started to pull people into the shop telling them to get down. People listened easily. She kept running down the street, adrenaline pumping. A bataroo (not the best name ever) swooped at her and she fell to the ground like Natasha had taught her. The things were picking people up and dropping them, bile rose in Darcy's throat.

 

Ironman suddenly dove in from above and began distracting and suddenly there were her friends. Doing their super hero thing. It made her proud. She started again, running. And at one point picked up a crying little girl in a green Hulk tutu. The (maybe) four year old clung to her, and Darcy just spoke lowly. About how it was going to be okay.

 

They hid in an alley.

 

Thor flew by, and Cap then ran by close after. And Darcy heard one word. "Loki." Fuck. Fucking fuck.

 

"Kay sugarbean, we're gonna hide here. And they will help everyone alright?"

 

"Yeh." Said the little girl. "Hulk saves everyone."

 

"Yes he does. What's your name?"

 

"Sasha Mondock."

 

"Well Sasha were..."

 

Darcy curled over the girl as Thor flew past them. Crashing through rubble and not moving. Darcy stared, heart in her throat. Something thumped next to her and she turned. Mew mew sat next to her, and she waited for it to fly to Thor like it had before. But it didn't move. Turning she saw a tall, thin man in green standing over Thor. She'd never met him, but she knew Loki. Supposed to be dead Loki.

 

"That asshole."

 

"Oh bad word."

 

"Oops sorry, butterbean."

 

Darcy turned to look at Loki again and he was placing an eerily blue hand on Thor's chest. Thor screamed, not his war bellow, but a pain filled scream. Before she knew it she was standing. Sasha pulled her eyes away again by moving.

 

And then.

 

This little girl in a green tutu with a roaring Hulk on the front picked up the hammer as if she were picking up a teddy bear.

 

"He needs hammer." The little girl stretched up and tried handing it to Darcy. And on instinct as the little girl went to drop it Darcy caught it.

 

It felt heavy, like her baseball bat in college. She turned back to look at Loki and Thor as her soulmate screamed again.

 

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Darcy heard, a voice wisened and old and full of power. Lightning roared around her, she felt invincible and knew with everything in her that she was worth something.

 

"Sasha, I have to go save Thor. Can you hide here?"

 

"You're a superhero."

 

"I'll be back soon."

 

Darcy ran at Loki, moving faster than she ever had in her life. With a grin she yelled "Lok'tar Ogar!" Her bellow roared and Loki turned eyes wide.

 

She let go of the hammer, knowing it would fly toward him hitting his chest and came back to her.

 

"What drivel are you spewing mortal."

 

"Victory or death. Lok'tar Ogar." Then she was hitting him again and again. Anger burning in her throat until she pinned him on the chest with the hammer.

 

Power still raced through her and she didn't know what to do. She felt like she was in a blood rage. Taking a breath in she bellowed to the sky. "Lok'tar!" It echoed loud and clear and she was left breathing heavy and staring at Loki's wide eyes.

 

"Who are you?"

 

"The best you'll ever see, asshole."

 

"Bad word."

 

"Jeez I'm on a bad streak huh?"

 

"Yes. Bad." Sasha nodded sagely as she came to stand next to her.

 

Loki disappeared letting the hammer fall to the ground with a thump. That's when Darcy turned to Thor who was staring at her a soft smile on his face.

 

"I knew your worth beloved. Now you do too." Darcy knelt next to him and gingerly hugged him. "You are worthy."

 

She let out a half sob half laugh into his shoulder. "You screamed. And I couldn't hide anymore." She kissed his cheek.

 

" 'cuse me. Yours." Sasha stood holding the hammer out to Thor with a toothy grin. The thunderer stared at the little girl.

 

"Thank you young one." He took the hammer and grinned at her. "It seems my brothers tricks have not ended."

 

The ground shook and Sasha let out an excited giggle.

 

"Hulk!" Darcy turned to find the big green guy staring down at the little tutu clad girl. "You are awesome. Hero!" The giant huffed a breath and sat down with a thump. The kid then climbed all over him with a grin.

 

"Hulk has fan." Hulk said looking at Darcy.

 

"Told ya bigger green. People love you."

 

Clint hopped down beside her. "Tony is saving me a video of that shit. Yo. Lok'tar fucking Ogar."

 

They fist bumped, and Thor laughed.

 

Darcy grinned. She was worthy.

 


	6. Family and Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continues Tony's story from WORTHY!!!

Tony sat on a work table in his lab while Darcy painted his toenails. He was bored. Pepper kept calling and he still wanted to not move ever again. Trying to figure out how to now balance all these things made Tony’s headache. And he was a genius! GENIUS! He let a grumpy sigh past his lips and Darcy finished another toe.

 

“If you sigh one more time I’m going to sit on you and force feed you hostess.” Darcy was concentrating hard on his toes, but she looked good, having come back from Asgard. Thor had apparently been making grand gestures of love. Darcy’s parents had been seen once or twice prowling outside the building but when Captain America and The Winter Solider had chased them off well that was that. They had done the same thing with Pepper and Fury. His stomach rolled and Darcy smacked his knee for twitching his toes.

 

“I’m not sighing a lot.” He griped and was awarded with the patented Darcy Lewis eyebrow.

 

“Jay, babe how -”

 

“Sir has sighed 29 times in the last 45 minutes.” The AI answered sounding a little too smug.

 

“See Jarvis has been counting.” Darcy finished his toes and Tony frowned down at her.

 

“Well bossman, it’s time for the meeting. And Imma be there but so will Potts and all the lawyers. And shit this just got real.”

 

Virginia “Pepper” Potts was trying to get her job back, which yeah wasn’t going to happen. But the woman had pulled up lawyers and was being a huge pain in the ass. Tony didn’t want to air the whole not soulmates thing because yeah. But the fact she was a member of former SHIELD was enough for termination. They had paperwork and things that Natasha had smuggled in, and Tony was grateful. No really he was, it’s just that even thinking about Pepper made his stomach twist and his chest throb. But if anything he was good at masks, and he had decided to pull up his hard ass business man mask, it existed for real he just hated it. But he usually took it out during big business moves, lured people in with a wink and smile and then BOOM serious Tony.

 

He didn’t think Pepper had seen it until the day he had stripped her of her office and things. Now his office, where the meeting was happening. He had to shut down his emotions for this whole thing, which considering his issue with those things well. Not too hard. Her face had been surprised as he had walked in, and removed her from her position. A surprising amount of the board had agreed with him, after he had proposed everything and had them sign NDAs. They had thrown their weight in to reinstate him. Pepper had been the news of the month, and was still talked about now.

 

Standing up Tony walked across the floor and put his shoes and socks back on. (Glad he had invented the super fast drying nail polish.) He straightened his tie, and hair, then he gave his shark smile. Unlike Pepper he’d been raised and groomed to be a businessman. Darcy walked up behind him and fixed his collar.

 

“M’kay Man of Iron it’s time to kick some ass and take some names.” Darcy grinned at him and he felt warmth spread through his chest. He’d done the DNA tests with Bruce, he wasn’t Darcy’s dad. But a lot of the time he wished he was.

 

The private elevator ride up to the office was silent and he strode into the  beautifully decorated room with ease, while Darcy went out to check the hallway and the receptionist. (The replacement reminded him of Aunt Peggy back in the day, that’s why he’d hired her after a extended background check by the spysassin team : dubbed by Darcy.)

 

He sat down and checked his screens, JARVIS had pulled up all the files needed and was ready to post them on the glass panel screens he’d installed soon after his reinstatement. Darcy walked in with Pepper and three lawyers in tow. The other brunette looked very unhappy. When they had been seated and offered drinks Darcy stood to Tony’s left and began typing away on her StarkPad.

 

“Is it appropriate Mr.Stark to have your assistant here?” One lawyer sneered, the implications in the word assistant was clear.

 

“I think it is, she is quite the clever one.” Tony said with a sedate grin. Pepper looked pale and tired as she looked at him. Unlike her lawyers she didn’t look snooty or angry. Just done. “Down to business. I’ll cut to the chase, released in the file leak from SHIELD was a list of undercover agents. Virginia Potts was listed as an alias for Alexandra Pluum, though she legally had it changed three years ago.” Tony waved his hand and the files came up highlighting the name, and data serial number.

 

“A hard copy.” Darcy said laying out four copies of the documents on the desk.

 

Tony looked at Pepper and watched her frown. She hadn’t been aggressive during this whole thing from the start. Truthfully he took no pleasure in ripping her down, but he couldn’t trust her anymore. So out she had to go.

 

“Due to this,” Tony continued. “she was terminated. Her fingerprints were also on file and were confirmed.”

 

The three lawyers looked dumbfounded. But one placed the files back. “You convinced Ms.Potts that you were soulmates. Therefore it does not matter what she did, but you are -”

 

Tony felt sick, but kept his face blank one unimpressed brow rising as the man continued to speak. Tony stared at Pepper letting everything around him go cold. But he couldn’t speak when the lawyer asked him a question. And for a second longer he stared at Pepper, who seemed to shrink a bit back into her chair.

 

Darcy spoke up. “Before this can go any further, I must confirm you signed your NDA forms.” Darcy hadn’t even looked up from her StarkPad, the image of cool as a cucumber. She had told Tony it was years of building a thick skin, he understood.

 

“Yes, girl we did.” Snapped the oldest and surliest looking of the lawyers.

 

“Perfect. Ms.Potts soulmate was found to be another SHIELD agent who is presumed dead after the attack. It was she, not he who led the confusion for soulmates. Mr.Stark thought this had been settled in Ms.Potts’ eyes.” Darcy’s tone was flippant but pointedly harsh. There had been some backlash after the whole thing onto the assistant since she had done a similar thing to her soulmate (in a way, but it had been quickly cleared away). “This was agreed on by Mr.Stark and his lawyer that it was to be left out of proceedings unless it was brought up by you, you partners or your client. If you’ll excuse me I must call up Mr.Cones from his office.”

 

Darcy was out in the hallway for a few minutes but Tony sat still, and frankly bored. JARVIS had pulled up something on his phone and he slowly started to pick at it, now ignoring his...guests. Pepper had gone low, and he wanted to scream and throw things but he pulled himself tight. When this was over he’s have Dummy, U and Butterfingers help him rip apart one of the old cars he had stocked for this sort of thing.

 

The team had been supportive and frankly amazing. He didn’t think he had made that much of an impact on them until then. Watching Natasha weed out SHIELD people which was frankly like watching a snake slither through grass, the fact she did it dressed to the nines and a smile was even worse. JARVIS had taken video and Tony played it whenever he felt like shit. They now had bonding nights! Him bonding! It was weird and pretty awesome. Finding out he didn’t have to suffer his nightmares alone was amazing too. He and whoever was up that night tended to do weird things. (Barton and him once filled cap’s room with stuffed american flags. Bucky and he had board game nights, dude could play some gin rummy. Steve and he watched movies. So on and so forth.)

 

At the end of the meeting, everything was done, Pepper was gone forever and Tony went to his lab and destroyed things. It went on for hours until someone finally caught his arm on a downswing. Bruce smiled at him, and Tony realized he had ripped his suit, his hands were bleeding and Butterfingers had been stuck in a corner for god knows how long, while Dummy was chasing U with tongs?

 

The other scientist took the crowbar from his hands, and lightly took his arm and led him to Bruce’s own lab where he was made to sit down.

 

“Feel any better?” Bruce said evenly as he began to clean the engineer’s hands with some swabs.

 

“No.” Tony’s voice was rough, and Poopikins (The bot he had built for Bruce on a binge) brought him a glass of water that he gratefully chugged down.

 

“You need to talk to someone Tones.” Hearing Bruce use his nicknames always made the genius smile. “Don’t think as your doctor I don’t get your sleep schedules from JARVIS.” Tony looked at his feet. “I know a lot of this brought back the cave.” Tony flinched. “We can see if you can talk to Sam, he’s who Bucky and Steve talk to.”

 

“Aw Brucie-bear are you just trying to get me to stop making your tea kettle sentient?” Tony grinned.

 

“Yes, last time it was humping the microwave.” Bruce smiled right back. “Just talk to Steve about it, and well it’d do you good. Plus he’s already assimilated to the avenger life.”

 

“He nice? You met him?” Bruce was always amazed at how clind-like Tony was. Though being sequestered by genius did that, Bruce knew that well.

 

“He’s really laid back, and does not fall for Steve's innocent act.” Bruce then shrugged. “Has a nice butt too.”  

 

“Oh Brucie, checkin out the sex pots.” Tony grinned. “Do I have a nice butt? Who has the nicest butt?”

 

“Clint.” There was a rattle in the air ducts and a loud proclamation of ‘ow’ Bruce grinned slightly evil and finished bandaging Tony’s hands. “And yes Tony you have a good butt.”

 

\---------------------

 

Steve was sitting at the breakfast counter when Tony found him, Bucky was at the stove making something russian that smelled like heaven. Both super soldiers turned to look at him when he flopped down and over the counter. Steve huffed a laugh at his Hulk bandaids. (A gag gift that Bruce used when he was feeling like a little shit. Sasha, Bruce’s new BFFL was super excited when she saw Tony with one on. Kids.)

 

“So Bruce says to talk to you about meeting someone named Sam, because my head's all messed up.” So eloquent.

 

Steve turned to look at him, forehead creased with worry. By the shift in Bucky’s stance he was too. “Yeah I can call him and see if can stop by sometime. I’m glad you’re thinking about this Tony. Been worrying us.”

 

“I’m pretty sure Stevie here was about to hug you into feeling better soon.” Bucky put three plates of food down and Tony smiled at him.

 

“Well I mean, I sort figured it out today.”

 

“How?” Steve said around a huge mouthful of food.

 

“Manners ya pig!” Bucky smacked the blond’s arm.

 

“Well - I… Jar can ya pull up the forty seconds before Bruce showed up?” Tony watched as the video started playing on the screen that rose from the counter. He watched himself and it was scary. His hands were bright red and he just was hitting the engine block of an old buick over and over. Though watching the bots was funny, Butterfingers was trying to wave at him, get his attention. After about a second though, he looked down and away.

 

“How long were you down there?” Bucky and Steve had both stopped eating, and Bucky was looking at him. Oh jeez that was his mother hen mode face.

 

“Sir was down there for seven hours.”

 

“Whoa, that long?” Tony stared at the paused image. It hadn’t seemed that long, his arms were gonna fucking ache tomorrow. “Is Butterfingers free by the way?”

 

“Yes, I have instructed them in clean up, all three are now charging.”

 

“Tony.” Steve looked even more worried. “When are you free?”

 

“Uh I have nothing really for the next three days.” Tony raised his eyebrows as Bucky loaded more food onto his plate and gave him a glass of milk. Oh jesus, he’d never been on the receiving end of this Bucky. He’d laughed at the other’s plight but his time had come.

 

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to call Sam.” The super soldier walked out of the room, pulling out his super soldier proof phone.

 

“He acts like I’m about to die or something.”

 

“Tones, did ya read the subtitles?” Tony glanced back up and Bucky easily rewound the video. He was repeating conversations with himself, and it was hard to read. But it seemed to mostly revolve around how useless he was. His mouth went dry.

 

“Yeah, so.” He stood and left, deciding not to turn when Bucky called his name.

 

He ended up in his bedroom, the clean lines calmed him. Stripping quickly, Tony showered and got into his pajamas, deciding he was going to watch Netflix (read huge digital library) and be morose. But he soon found his bedroom door all but kicked open, and his bed full of Darcy and snacks.

 

“I even got Redvines.” Was all the curvy brunette said before she took over the remote, turned off How It’s Made and slapped on The Dark Crystal. The two didn’t talk, and Tony just let Darcy cuddle him and didn’t even mind when Thor joined the party in the middle of the first Lord of the Rings Extended Edition. What can he say the dude was an awesome snuggler.

 

\---------------------

 

Tony had escaped early in the morning to the workshop, he was pulling up the new arm design for Bucky’s arm, the old one too heavy to be good in the long term. Not that Hydra really cared for that at the time of it’s design. He quickly became engrossed and was soon fabricating and assembling different parts with a blind concentration.

 

What seemed like minutes later a hand descended onto his shoulder. The engineer twisted and reacted so fast, panic rising in his throat. His chocolate eyes met the surprised eyes of The Man with a Plan.

 

“Tony, I’m so sorry.” Steve smiled weakly. “I’ve been talking to you for fifteen minutes.”

 

“Oh.” Tony stood back from trying to grab his gauntlet. “What do you need?”

 

“Oh ah, Sam is here and I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet and talk.” Steve smiled.

 

“Oh yeah sure, let me just close so projects -”

 

“All projects saved and closed down.” JARVIS intoned from above. Tony frowned at the ceiling, miffed that his trusted AI had ruined his avoidance plan. What a dick.

 

“Oh I guess, ah, now it fine.” Tony gave Steve a smile.

 

He followed the super solider, nervous as hell and trying to keep it in check. Steve turned to look at him and Tony gave him a smile. No need to worry his friend.

 

“Sam’s a great guy Tony, he’s helping Bucky and me too.” Tony found himself surprised, he wasn’t aware that Steve was in therapy. But it made sense, man out of time and everything.

 

“Oh, well I’ll try.” Tony said his nerves getting worse. So frightened to open up to anyone.

 

\---------------------

 

Sam stood in the common room of Avenger’s tower, he felt nervous having never met the billionaire who legit paid him for helping the two goober super soldiers that were his patients. He was excited to meet him, he loved the fixes to his wings and even the fact that the guy had put Riley’s name on the right wing. Dude had heart.

 

Steve had told him what was going on with him, and the whole Pepper situation. He’d even received an email from Natasha with paperwork and NDAs. But the most insane thing was the attached video of Stark beating up a car, and if he had read the timestamp was for seven hours. It made him want to hug the guy, and then maybe go out for drinks.

 

“Mr.Wilson, Sir and The Captain are on their way up to meet you.” Said the british voice from the ceiling, the fact it was an AI still made him feel like John Connor. The elevator pinged and Sam turned to see a short guy standing next to Steve, and man did he look like shit.

 

“Sam, this is Tony.” Steve said walking forward. “Tony, Sam.”

 

“Mr.Stark, nice to meet you.” Sam said with a grin and watched Tony freeze. The man’s chocolate eyes went wide and frightened. “Are you alright?” Sam looked to Steve who was looking over at the engineer with worry in his eyes.

 

“I bet you’re a fucking spy too, aren’t you?” Tony hissed, the sudden anger flashed in his eyes made Sam’s own eyes widen.

 

“N-no I ain’t. But I just-” Sam looked over at Steve. “I mean I - do you want to see - I didn’t.” Sam rubbed his face and felt like he was going to throw up. He was just looking at his feet and Steve spoke.

 

“What is going on?”

 

“He’s a fucking spy Steve, how else would he say that shit?” Tony sounded angry, but the underlying pain made Sam want to reach out to him.

 

“I’m not a spy.” Sam looked up and met the panicked and angry eyes of the genius. “I was just coming to help, and I just-”

 

“Tony did he say-” Steve began to ask and the engineer rounded on him.

 

“Yes! Did you tell him, did Darcy?” The shorter man yelled.

 

“I don’t know what your mark says Tony. And I trust Sam, he’s helped take down Hydra and bring Bucky in.” Steve touched Tony’s shoulders.

 

Tony took a deep breath and turned to Sam, staring intently at his face. It seemed his mind was working a million miles an hour, which it probably was.

 

“I want to see.” Tony said suddenly and he moved forward like a scared animal.

 

“Sure.” Sam turned around, and pulled his shirt over his head in a single smooth motion. Running not so neatly down his spine was Tony’s handwriting, “I bet you’re a fucking spy too, aren’t you?”. With bated breath Tony reached out and ran a finger down the words. They sparked with warmth and made everything seem brighter. He couldn’t understand how Pepper had fooled him with her simple “Ms.Potts.” on her forearm. Thinking back it always looked boring and felt like nothing. But this, it was like the first time Dummy beeped at him in MIT, or when JARVIS spoke his first words.

 

“You’re not a spy.” It felt so right, more right than Tony had in forever. “But you’re -”

 

“I know this is fucked up, but can I see yours?” Sam said this looking over his shoulder, his cheeks a light red from feeling Tony’s fingers on his mark.

 

Tony nodded and slowly slipped his shirt off, his shoulders and arms ached. His mark was arched across his left pec, the only place no scarring happened during all the shit in the cave. Sam turned and looked at them. He reached out a hand but stopped himself.

 

“Can I?”

 

“Uh- yeah.” Sam’s fingers ghosted over the mark and Tony was dazzled by the man’s smile. It was like standing in the sun.

 

\---------------------

 

Tony was lying on Darcy’s couch, legs bent over the back and his head dangling down. Across from him was Thor in a poofy chair, and the soldier twins sat to the left on a loveseat Jane draped across them looking sleepy. The Spysassin duo was next to him, and in the middle of this all was Sam, looking nervous as hell. Tony was pouting because it was hard to braid Darcy’s hair from where she sat on the floor in front of him.

 

Natasha was leading the interrogation and the fact that Sam looked like he’d rather be eating his own shoe then be in the circle of glare (minus Bucky and Steve). Tony was trying to keep calm, in reality he wanted to cry and scream and then sleep forever. On the other hand he was excited, elated. There was proof that Sam was his soulmate. (He had JARVIS run a whole thing, it was on file from his time in the falcon project.) But it seemed the brute squad was gonna show up and make sure Sam wasn’t a lying liar who lies.

 

\---------------------

 

After their initial meeting They hadn’t really spent time alone, but they were the talk of the tower. Frankly it was driving Tony crazy. There always seemed to be someone else, there and Sam seemed to give him a huge berth and never touched him. Ever. Tony wanted to touch, he was a very tactile person. For fucks sake he wanted to get to know his soulmate without Natasha, and/or Bucky sharpening their knives in the background, or Clint hiding in the vents.

 

Tony was putting Bucky’s new arm on said Super Soldier a frown firmly in place. Tony tightened the joints and plates with jerky movements.

 

“Good god, are you going put a bomb in it?” Bucky was eyeing him with wide eyes.

 

“What? No? Why would I do that?” Tony said, putting his tools down with sharp snaps. He did not see the stare he was getting from the former assassin.

 

“You’re very grumpy today.” Bucky said as he pulled her shirt back over his head, blue eyes still trained on the engineer. Jane and Steve would forgive him if he was late, because really Tony was acting weird.

 

“Well it happens. Everything should work, if you have problems tell JARVIS and he’ll get me.” Then the genius stood up and walked away, leaving Bucky to stare after him.

 

Tony didn’t want to act like an asshole to his friends but it was pissing him off that he had not been able to have a simple conversation with his soulmate without being chaperoned like he was some 18th century noble woman. He was a grown ass man, thank you very much. Sam even understood that he had the social skills of a concussed duck, but liked him anyway.

 

With a grin he pulled out his phone and texted Sam.

 

  * Meet me in the lab, ASAP. We shall escape our chaperones good sir.




 

After a few minutes he got a reply that made him snort the water he had been drinking into his nose.

 

  * At once my fair lady, we shall have our rendezvous soon.




 

It took less than six minutes for Sam to pop up in the lab, a smile on his face. but it was another minute on top of that for Steve and Bucky to show up outside the lab and ask to be let in. Tony was going to start hulking the room. Sam had the same expression that one gets when you get shit spilled on you the tenth time by the same drunk person.

 

“We didn’t know you two were hanging out.” Steve lied, badly. Jesus they weren’t even trying anymore.

 

“I swear on everything I hold dear,” Sam started pointing at the two super soldiers. “if you left your date with Jane just so you could fucking loom over us like two fucking over protective shadows I’m gonna kick all y'all's asses.”

 

Steve looked ashamed but Bucky narrowed his eyes.

 

“Hey Bucky-bear, get that look off your face before I remove it for you.” Tony snapped stepping up next to Sam. “I’m a grown ass adult, so go away. That means everyone. I get it you love me, you want to be sure I’m safe. But really…” Tony sighed hard. “Fuck off.”

 

Bucky transferred his glare to Tony, who glared right back.

 

“We just thought - “ Steve started looking like he was gearing up for a rant.

 

“You thought wrong. I’m an adult. I don’t need you staring over my shoulder at Sam as if he’s HYDRA. Which he isn’t, I’ve done the leg work.” Tony pointed at his two friends. “And if cannot respect me in my private life, how the hell are you going to respect me on the field? Tell me that? You treat me like some swooning maid, it pisses me off.”

 

Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times, and Bucky was staring past him at the back wall. Both were silent, and then Darcy and Jane came skidding into the room.

 

“I told you they’d be here, get these two idiots out of here.” Darcy said to Jane who started to herd her soulmates out of the room. “Clint that means you GTFO too, leave the two alone. For fucks sake.”

 

Sam and Tony turned to her as one. “What? I already booked you a table at the awesome restaurant. The black tie one, so get all fancy and then get all lovey guys.”

 

\---------------------

 

Tony was in love, and this wasn’t just because Sam was his soulmate. It wasn’t even that the man was, gorgeous, funny, had a smile that could melt your face and was smart as hell. No, Tony fell in love because the guy got him. He didn’t get all pinched face when Tony forgot something (Like Pepper used to, and the way that Steve does.), he doesn’t scoff at Tony when he says something off color or is confused about social situations. (Like Natasha does, and Pepper used to.). He basically treats Tony like a person. Flaws and all.

 

Didn’t hurt that the man had an ass you could bounce a penny off of.

 

“Come here honey, I got something for you!” He called over the pile of shit that had built up on his workbench when Sam called his name. The man’s head popped over the desk with a half smile at his grease covered lover.

“Tones you best not be telling me to drive a car at a wall to go back in time.” Sam’s face came into view over the table of shit, a bemused smile on his face.

 

“No! That wouldn’t even work, psh half-assed science.” The genius continued to grumble under his breath.

 

“Steve and Bucky finally apologized to me, by the way. But they seemed reluctant to apologize to you.” Sam said sitting beside Tony, who hid what he was working on from view. “I told them to stop being chickens and apologize.”

 

“Darcy has been rubbing it in their faces that she and Thor were right, I think Steve is butt hurt about it.” Tony said seemingly half paying attention but still able to keep his project out of Sam’s line of sight.

 

Sam gave up on trying to see it, and laughed. “Yeah I noticed that. The rest have been very absent.”

 

“They’re sulking.” Tony made a happy noise and turned towards Sam suddenly. “Six month anniversary!” He cheered and released what looked like a volleyball out of his hands and towards the floor. It stopped halfway and opened it’s panels to hover and beep happily at Sam. “Her name is Butterbean, and she is now yours.” Tony smiled and Sam grinned.

 

“She’s so cute!” Sam poked the hovering bot lightly. “What can she do?”

 

“Hello designation Falcon, I am your personal security and assistance bot. While in the field I can assist your aim and flight patterns to enable better maneuverability. In case of wing failure I am equipped with a secondary parachute for your and my safety. Out of the field I am your companion and helper. But I am equipped with two small fire arms, both which are removable for your safety. I have too many functions to list however.” The LED lights in the hover panels blinked pink. “I am very pleased to meet you, Sir has talked to much about you.” The lights turned back to green.

 

“Holy shit, Tony I love her. She’s perfect!” Sam hooked Tony into a hug and then a kiss.

 

“I’m glad you like her. She runs off a reactor, so she basically will never die. But there are somethings in place to save the tech. should someone snatch her.”

 

“Self destruct?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Sweet.”

 

“You know, she could totally count as our first love child.” Tony grinned and was happy when Sam laughed.

 

“Our first? How many we gonna have?”

 

“At least two more….or four.”

 

“I am excited for sibling from Sir and Designation Falcon.”

 

“Ah jeez can we change what she calls me?”

 

“Sure, Butterbean call him Sam from now on.”

 

“Affirmative, I shall call him Dad.”

 

“What?” Sam turned to look at the floating bot.

 

“I am your love child, therefore I shall call you Dad, and Sir shall now be designated Papa.” The bot then turned yellow and made a happy trill. “We are family.”

 

“If I may,” JARVIS said overhead.

 

“No! You are not called me Papa.”

 

“I feel hurt at the prospect of not being about to call you such an endearment.” The tone of the AI was dry.

 

“Aww it’s okay you can call me Dad, JARVIS.”

 

“Don’t encourage them.” Tony said with a huff, and then smiled at JARVIS affirmative answer. They were a family.

 


End file.
